Podcasts about platform conference

Working in an ever-evolving industry means staying up to date with the latest product updates. Something incredibly important when it comes to supporting our customers. Which is why we sent several members of our CRM & Power Platform team to the European Power Platform Conference in Brussels, to hear from leading experts in the field and bring back even more knowledge and information ready to further support our customers.In this episode of Tecman Talks Dynamics Jason is joined by Jon, Ellie and Zak to reflect on their key takeaways from the conference. Covering everything from streamlining Power Automate workflows, exploring design possibilities in Power Apps, as well as the questions we put to Power Pages specialists, how Microsoft Copilot fits into the Power Platform, and much more. Listen today and see what key takeaways your business could use. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Wendy interviews Ken and Sean on their experiences during the Microsoft Power Platform conference. 

This is episode 265 recorded on October 19th, 2023 where John & Jason talk about the Power BI updates for August 2023 including the interactive mobile canvas, changes to the online model editing experience, and GIT support for paginated reports.

Microsoft Power Platform Conference was a whirlwind of a week! We got to connect with familiar faces and meet new friends, all with a common interest: the Power Platform.  We came back incredibly energized and tired after balancing fun with learning in the bright city of Las Vegas. From the very first keynote of the week (Charles Lamanna), there was an intense, excited energy in the air that would carry through the entirety of the conference.  Ashley and Ali share their experiences at the conference in this special bonus episode. There have been many other recaps of the content and announcements posted by our colleagues and friends in the community, so we're focusing on what hit us the most. You'll hear about our stand-out moments, favorite sessions, and even some ideas to make it better in the future.  What was your favorite moment from MPPC? If you didn't make it this year, will you make it happen next year?! 

This episode is sponsored by Argano.   The team at Microsoft partner Argano attended the first Microsoft Power Platform Conference in 2022 and they are returning for the 2023 event in Las Vegas starting on October 3. In this event preview episode of the podcast,  Jon Rastia, senior director of innovation and technology at Argano joins us to discuss the team's experiences last year, the Power Platform roadmap, the evolution of the community, and more. He also shares a preview of a customer case study Argano will be presenting at MPPC 2023.   Learn more about Argano's presence at MPPC 2023 here.

The Microsoft Power Platform Conference is coming up and your hosts, Sean, Ken, and Wendy are eager to share why the MPPC is such an amazing experience and what to expect! 

The Microsoft Power Platform Conference returns for its second edition in October, and Microsoft's Heather Cook, who is also an executive producer of the event, joins us to talk about the conference and trends in the community. Heather joined Microsoft's Business Applications team in June of 2020 after working in the Microsoft Teams group, and she tells us about her efforts over that time, from supporting grassroots local groups to large centralized events like MPPC 2023.   MPPC will offer sessions for a range of interest, from technical to professional development to community. Heather tells us how MPPC fits into Microsoft's broader approach to supporting the Power Platform community, how newcomers are getting involved, and what else Microsoft will be doing in the coming months.    Show Notes: 5:00 - Evolution of the Power Platform community since Covid across products, events, and initiatives 8:00 - Heather's event experience and how she applied it when joining the Business Apps group in June of 2020 13:00 - Speaker highlights at MPPC 2023: Execs, product managers to community members 15:00 - More event agenda details 17:30 - How members of the community take the first steps toward adding their voices 20:00 - Stories of Power Platform career changers and career opportunities 23:00 - How newcomers get started today 25:00 - Heather's broader community planning outlook for 2023 and beyond   Follow Mondays at Microsoft (https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft-community/) with Heather and Karuana Gatimu at 8am PT every other week, where they share product and community updates.

Discover the highlights of the Power Platform Conference in this episode of Dynamics Hotdish, guest Heather Cook, Principal Manager at Microsoft, delve into the event's cutting-edge content. Heather sheds light on keynotes featuring Charles and other industry leaders, emphasizing the integration of Power Platform apps within Teams and the co-pilot functionalities spanning Microsoft 365. She elaborates on the growing role of AI and generative AI in the low-code landscape, enabling users to create sophisticated applications with ease. Heather unveils the engaging interaction between attendees and product teams, with sessions, focus groups, and roundtable discussions offering deep insights and technical skill-building opportunities. The episode also hints at exciting announcements on AI advancements, encouraging listeners to watch Microsoft's blogs for updates. With over a hundred sessions, workshops, and a plethora of expert speakers, this episode offers an immersive exploration of Power Platform's future. Visit https://www.dynamicshotdish.com for more information and show notes.

It's hard to believe the inaugural Microsoft Power Platform Conference was just last year! It began with a BANG where industry professionals flocked to Florida to learn all about the capabilities of the Power Platform. It's time to start thinking about Power Platform Conference again this year since it's coming up quick in Las Vegas. Asif Rehmani joins us this week to give some insider info and tips about the conference, including what sessions you can expect to find at the conference and who should (and should not) attend. Register for the Power Platform Conference using the Hotdish code for a special discount. Visit our website for more information: https://www.dynamicshotdish.com.

The first Microsoft Power Platform Conference (MCCP) 2022 has now concluded, and we catch up with Microsoft MVP Asif Rehmani to discuss what we learned at the event. We review some of the things we learned about Power Platform's position within the larger Microsoft Cloud, how SharePoint will co-exist with it, the various user roles related to Power Platform adoption, and our perception of the Microsoft product team's outlook. We also look ahead to how Power Platform events supported by Microsoft could change in the next year.   Asif has also written a LinkedIn post sharing his event experiences.   Related MSDW articles: Microsoft announces improved Power Platform governance, app coauthoring Microsoft announces Viva Sales general availability with new sales enablement integration

In this week's episode, fresh from TEC, Paul Robichaux chats with Steve Goodman about the most useful learnings and contrast how independent conferences compare to Microsoft Ignite. And MEC - was it one last hurrah from Exchange, or will it be a regular thing? The Power Platform conference happened too, and there's some big announcements. We go in depth into the biggest hitters.

Latest news from 23 August 2022, as reported in the Ukrainian media. Support the podcast at: https://www.patreon.com/highlightsfromukraine Even a small donation will help us to do our work and create some special episodes on wartime life in Ukraine for you. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3oH111z Special thanks to our top Patreon supporters - Helena Pszczolko O'Callaghan, Pete Carroll and mattg629! Contact us at: highlightsfromukraine@gmail.com.

Latest news from 22 August 2022, as reported in the Ukrainian media. Support the podcast at: https://www.patreon.com/highlightsfromukraine Even a small donation will help us to do our work and create some special episodes on wartime life in Ukraine for you. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3oH111z Special thanks to our top Patreon supporters - Helena Pszczolko O'Callaghan, Pete Carroll and mattg629! Contact us at: highlightsfromukraine@gmail.com.

It is an honor for me to introduce you to my dear friend and colleague, Ray Edwards. I have been following Ray and his work for over 18 months, and have come to not only respect him as a business leader, but truly honor him as a man of God. Ray and I met recently at the Platform Conference, and we both knew immediately that our meeting was a divinely inspired connection. As we shared our hearts with one another, it became clear that we had much in common. I count it a great privilege to call him a friend and a brother. I am sure this will be the first of many programs we do with Ray, and I know that this episode will impact you greatly as you move into God's destiny and assignment for your life. I trust you will enjoy this interview. Ray Edward's Bio: Ray is probably best known as a Direct Response Copywriter, Product Launch Manager, Internet Marketing Strategist and conference speaker. Campaigns he's written and/or directed have resulted in an estimated $100 million in sales. He's had the good fortune to working with (and learning from) some stellar clients, including New York Times Best-selling authors Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen (creators of Chicken Soup for the Soul), Joel Comm (author of Twitter Power and The Adsense Code), Raymond Aaron (author of Double Your Income Doing What You Love) as well as Armand Morin, Alex Mandossian, Jeff Walker, and many others. Ray speaks frequently at seminars on copywriting, promotions and marketing, for professionals in those fields. For more information about Ray's work, please visit his website at www.RayEdwards.com

It is an honor for me to introduce you to my dear friend, John Morgan (a.k.a., President George W. Bush). I met John in 2013 at the Platform Conference in Nashville, TN, over the course of that year, we became close friends. John travels the world encouraging, challenging, and uplifting the hearts of men and women, and we are privileged to have him on the program. This show is different than any other I've done, as John and I allow you, the listener, in on our conversation. I trust you will enjoy this interview with ‘W'. John Morgan's Bio: For most Americans, there's nothing like being in the presence of the President of the United States. We know we're touching history, and for a few moments we feel bigger than life. A chance encounter with the President is a wonder we can't wait to describe to our friends. When it happens, we want to get as close as possible, shake hands and exchange a word—so we can tell our grandchildren. John C. Morgan is a rare phenomenon. He was recently hired to add the “Extra WOW factor” for a John C. Maxwell training event. Most people don't realize that he's an impersonator, because he's just that good. But even if they're expecting an impersonator, John takes them by surprise. He's amazingly gifted with George W. Bush's physical appearance, and he has assiduously cultivated the President's mannerisms and speech patterns. The hair, the shrug, the laugh, the nod, even the verbal Bush-isms—John C. Morgan makes you feel like you're speaking with the President himself. That's what Dick Cheney, Jeb Bush and Barbara Walters thought when they met John C. Morgan in character! On top of it all, John C. Morgan is a showman, musician, actor and comedian who plays the bit for all it's worth. That's how he guarantees events are full of surprises in which everyone participates. Whether “W” shows up in a limo with secret service agents to fire your starting gun, appears on the 7th tee to give some pointers and pose for pictures, shows up to make a foreign policy speech at your banquet, or all of the above and more, your guests will have a grand and unforgettable experience. Stage presentations run the gamut from comedic and musical to dramatic and motivational. John's performances not only entertain your guests but inspire them to focus on the purposes and themes of your gathering. John will work with you personally to develop just the right performance elements for your event. His flexible approach allows for periods of spontaneous interaction, alternating with scripted performances. JOHN MORGAN travels as “the face” of President George W. Bush at corporate, comedic, and faith-based events around the world, bringing joy and inspiration to millions of astonished people who might otherwise never have an audience with America's Commander in Chief. With a small cadre of “Secret Service” agents stationed around him, John nods his head and greets the crowd with the President's trademark Texas drawl. John's show combines his hilarious but respectful impression of President Bush with a few famous George W. faux pas, blended with a mix of parody songs and finishes up with an inspiring message about hope and determination. He elicits heartfelt laughter from both sides of the political aisle. Discovered at a “Bush For President” rally in 2000, Morgan went from selling appliances to performing at the President's Inaugural. By 2007, John was bringing his big- time comedic impersonation to arenas all across America, appearing live before tens of thousands on Sean Hannity's “Freedom Concerts” and before hundreds of thousands on “The Winter Jam Tour Spectacular,” where he amazed audiences with his guitar playing and singing. Millions more have seen him on America's Got Talent, The Family Feud, Headline News, Hannity & Colmes, E! Entertainment Network, ABC's “The View,” and The 700 Club. Fans even voted him a finalist on ABC TV's celebrity reality show, “The Next Best Thing.” John was awarded America's # 1 Bush Impressionist along with two “Mirror Image” awards and a 2005 Cloney award for “Best Historical Impersonation” voted on by his peers. Has also been featured on NPR's All Things Considered, and interviewed in dozen's of newspapers such as The Sunday London Times. John was born and raised in Orlando, Florida. He and, his wife of 29 years, Kathy, still reside in sunny Orlando with their four sons, Christopher, Stephen, Daniel and Jonathan, two wonderful daughters-in-law, and three exciting grandkids. John's inspiring journey is  chronicled in print. My Life as a Bush…and My Heart for Imitating Jesus, with forward by Governor Mike Huckabee, is filled with laugh-out-loud stories, audacious encounters, and spiritual insights. Each chapter of John's story encourages readers to become imitators of the greatest Man who ever lived. You can find out more about John at JohnCMorgan.com

It is an honor for me to have my dear friend and colleague, Ray Edwards, back on the program this week. I have been following Ray and his work for over 18 months, and have come to not only respect him as a business leader, but truly honor him as a man of God. Ray and I met last year at the Platform Conference, and we both knew immediately that our meeting was a divinely inspired connection. As we shared our hearts with one another, it became clear that we had much in common. I recently visited Ray in Spokane, WA (his hometown), and participated with him in a powerful mastermind event. I count it a great privilege to call him a friend and a brother. In this episode, Ray and I discuss transition, focus, relationships, and so much more. I trust you will benefit greatly as you listen to the interview as we talk about, ‘Slowing Down, Making Space, and Preparing for the Next Level'. Ray Edward's Bio: Ray is probably best known as a Direct Response Copywriter, Product Launch Manager, Internet Marketing Strategist and conference speaker. Campaigns he's written and/or directed have resulted in an estimated $100 million in sales. He's had the good fortune to working with (and learning from) some stellar clients, including New York Times Best-selling authors Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen (creators of Chicken Soup for the Soul), Joel Comm (author of Twitter Power and The Adsense Code), Raymond Aaron (author of Double Your Income Doing What You Love) as well as Armand Morin, Alex Mandossian, Jeff Walker, and many others. Ray speaks frequently at seminars on copywriting, promotions and marketing, for professionals in those fields. For more information about Ray's work, please visit his website at www.RayEdwards.com

I was fortunate enough to get to attend the annual Nucleus Platform Conference in Manchester last week. They had an agenda with some of the most exciting speakers in Financial Planning from Canada and USA. While Nucleus are a UK-only platform I was really chuffed to get on the ticket, and made full use of my day over there, meeting lots of quality advisors, hearing some extra-ordinary speakers, and have a super fun time too! In this episode I get to share insights with you from the following: Westside Financial Planning, Sheffield. Vanguard Michelle Hoskin Nick Lincoln Alan Smith I hope it is of some value! Paddy.  

Reuben asks for a list of five conferences I would recommend attending in 2015. I give a top seven—conferences I have attended in the past that have been very useful for me. Social Media Marketing World: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/smmworld/ New Media Expo: http://nmxlive.com/2015-lv/ Podcast Movement: http://podcastmovement.com/ New Media Europe: http://newmediaeurope.com/2015/ Platform Conference: http://www.platformconference.tv/ FinCon: http://finconexpo.com/ 1DayBB: http://1daybb.com/ Do you have a question about conferences? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today is a great visit with Theresa Ceniccola.  She’s a work-from-home mom and founder of the International Christian Mompreneur Network.  I had the privilege of meeting Theresa at The Platform Conference in Colorado Springs last month, and I couldn’t wait to share her with you.  I think you’ll really enjoy her practical tips and strategies – especially as we enter this holiday season where there seems to be not enough time and too much of the good stuff to fit it all in. Key Ideas:  Part 1 – Interview highlights The #1 lesson for a Mompreneur The positive effects of schedule and routine Why she uses a family calendar and how you can too How to use the “Sunday Summit” to streamline and supercharge your week Where to find a safe place for support Part 2 – Set Yourself Up for a Successful Month Sleep Enough Plan, then Schedule Clear out the clutter Get busy and enjoy it all Because I’m brave enough to show the real way I sometimes (frequently) live!  Oh, it’s painful to be honest!     Website Links www.theresaceniccola.com www.icmnetwork.com www.typeaparent.com Theresa’s Recommended Reading The Daily Bible – In Chronological Order The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands, by Lysa TerKeurst Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World, by Michael Hyatt Connect with Theresa Email:  theresa@theresaceniccola.com On Facebook On Twitter Encouraging Word of the Week:  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8  “A Time for Everything” “There is a time for everything,     and a season for every activity under the heavens: A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, A time to kill and a time to heal,     a time to tear down and a time to build, A time to weep and a time to laugh,     a time to mourn and a time to dance, A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,     a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, A time to search and a time to give up,     a time to keep and a time to throw away, A time to tear and a time to mend,     a time to be silent and a time to speak, A time to love and a time to hate,     a time for war and a time for peace.” The post #033: Theresa Ceniccola – International Christian Mompreneur Network (Podcast) appeared first on Christy Largent.

What if, in 2015, you could give yourself the “Ultimate Advantage” in every area of your life – faith, physical, emotional, and financial? In today's episode, I'll share some foundational elements and practical advice on how to do just that. Announcements Here are a couple of immediate advantages you can give yourself in the area of learning, growing, and connections: In just a few days from now the Platform Conference in Colorado Springs, will be in full swing, starting November 9th. If there are any seats still available, you can still save $100 when you click here and add the special code RAY to your order.  Yes, I am a featured speaker, and I am also a student. I plan to learn as much as anyone while I am there. I hope you will be there with us. As I have mentioned previously, Cliff Ravenscraft and I are hosting a special one-day event the day after the Platform Conference. This is a “Day With Cliff and Ray”, and if you're going to be in Colorado Springs for the Platform Conference, you should definitely consider joining us for this event. The applications are piling up for the Private Personal Mastermind Group, led by me, in 2015. I've really been surprised by the response to this, as we haven't really promoted it other than a few casual mentions on the podcast. This will be a small group, and our time together  will be intentional, demanding, and designed to bring you into alignment with your personal destiny. The criteria for membership in the group will be very precise, and the investment will not be exorbitant, but neither will it be cheap. If none of that scares you off, and if in fact you are one of the people who have expressed to me how you wished I would create a group like this, please reach out to me by sending an email to support [@] rayedwards.com. Tip of the Week: I've been using and enjoying the newly re-designed PocketCasts app. It's a podcast player for iPhone, iPad, and Android. I find this one to be full-featured, including the all important speed control, as well as visually beautiful. It's kind of like FlipBoard for podcasts. Spiritual Foundations: Wisdom For Your Practical Problems Wisdom equals the Presence Of God. Wisdom is a person… “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself.” 1 Corinthians 1:30 Whatever your need for wisdom, God has promised to grant your request. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5 This is not poetry or figures of speech, but literal truth: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 Feature Presentation: How To Get The “Ultimate Advantage” In 2015 What more could you need, other than the wisdom we were just speaking of, to gain the “ultimate advantage”? Just because you have access to wisdom doesn't mean you are using it. I believe there are 5 C's that can help bring your ultimate advantage in 2015. Cultivating the increased awareness of, and being more sensitive to, the Presence of God. Clarifying your purpose, mission, vision and values (these are different things). Commitment to acting with integrity in each moment, at the point of choice. Communicating powerfully with intention,  love, and transparency in a way that honors all involved. Community that is intentionally created. Join a high-quality Mastermind Group (you can inquire about the possibility of joining mine with an email to support [@] rayedwards.com, or if you want to form your own I highly recommend Dan Miller's product on forming your own.) Next Week:  7 Reasons You Should Write a Book Get The Transcript Click here for the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed. Question: How do you think the “5 C's” could impact your life in 2015, if you applied them? Click here to leave your comments.

I'm still in the mode of preparing my plans for 2015. I have some pretty big ideas about what I want to accomplish next year, and I'm sure you do as well. In today's episode, the theme is “how to own your life”.  It includes an interview with one of my favorite people, Chris Brogan.  It also includes an opportunity to work closely with me in 2015. Keep listening for details. Announcements In a little over a week, I will be gathering with all the other folks who are attending the Platform Conference in Colorado Springs, starting November 9th. There are still a few seats available, and you can still save $100 when you click here and add the special code RAY to your order.  yes, I am a featured speaker, but I am also a student. I plan to learn as much as anyone while I am there. I hope you will be there with us. We have been quietly formulating the plan for a Private Personal Mastermind Group, led by me, in 2015. This will be a small group, and our time together  will be intentional, demanding, and designed to bring you into alignment with your personal destiny. The criteria for membership in the group will be very precise, and the investment will not be exorbitant, but neither will it be cheap. If none of that scares you off, and if in fact you are one of the people who have expressed to me how you wished I would create a group like this, please reach out to me by sending an email to support [@] rayedwards.com. Tip of the Week: As I have mentioned previously, Cliff Ravenscraft and I are hosting a special one-day event the day after the Platform Conference. This is a “Day With Cliff and Ray”, and if you're going to be in Colorado Springs for the Platform Conference, you should definitely consider joining us for this event. On the last day of platform, the people who are attending the “Day with Cliff and Ray” will gather together and share an evening meal. This will be very relaxed, informal, we will get to know one another on a deeper level before our intense one-day event the next morning. Here is what we will be doing at this event, on Wednesday, November 12: The Deeper Connection Session:  in which our intention is to foster deep, lasting relationships between all the people in the room, so we can mutually support one another in the coming year as we all seek to take our platforms to the next level. The Next Level Resources Session:  in which Cliff and I will be sharing all of our most useful tools, tricks, techniques, apps, procedures, systems, and even our workflows. This is like getting in “over the shoulder” look into how we run our businesses. The Most Valuable Investment Session: During this session, each member of the group will be given a few moments to share what they feel has been the most beneficial investment that they have made in taking their own platform to the next level. Hearing “what has worked” for others may be just the source of inspiration that you need to get a glimpse at new possibilities. AMA with Cliff & Ray Session: During this “Ask Me Anything” session, you will have the opportunity to ask Cliff or Ray ANYTHING you want. Both Cliff and Ray are very willing to share anything and everything from their own experiences that may be of help to you. So just think about it. If you could ask anything of Cliff or Ray, what would it be? Write those questions down and bring it to this session. Spiritual Foundations: God Is With You In Your Trial by Fire “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Daniel 3:25 Daniel was God's man inside a corrupt system-the government that was overrun by unbelievers, or even worse, those who believed in the powers of darkness. This corrupt system was even run by a man who would set himself up as God-King Nebuchadnezzar. When Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, were thrown into a fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar, because they would not bow down to a foreign God, guess what happened? The most remarkable thing: one of the Old Testament appearances of Jesus Christ. he showed up right there inside the furnace with them, preserve them in the fire, and brought them out alive and well. The Bible tells us that “the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them” (Daniel 3:27). Right now, you may be going through your own fiery trial. You can rest assured that God is not watching from a distance, wishing you good luck, and telling you to hang in there until the afterlife. He is with you in the very trial. In the very flames. The Bible says that “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). When God is with you, you can walk through the fiery furnace, and you can walk out, holding his hand, undamaged and even without the smell of smoke on you. Feature Presentation: How to Own Your Life With Chris Brogan Check out the podcast audio to hear the complete interview with Chris Brogan. Next Week:  How To Create Your Own “Unfair Advantage” In 2015 Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed. Question: What parts of your life do you feel you don't “own”… and what are you going to do about it? Click here to leave your comments.

It's not too early to start getting ready for 2015. In fact right now is the perfect time to assess how this year has gone, and what you'd like to see happen in 2015. In my case, 2014 started off a little “bloated” – both physically and mentally. I want 2015 to be lean & mean (in the most fun sense of that word). That's what today's episode is all about: how to set yourself up for a lean, mean 2015. Announcements I am getting excited about the upcoming Platform Conference in Colorado Springs, starting November 9th. There are still a few seats available, and you can still save $100 when you click here and add the special code RAY to your order. Tip of the Week: Plus, Cliff Ravenscraft and I are hosting a special one-day event the day after the Platform Conference. This is a “Day With Cliff and Ray”, and if you're going to be in Colorado Springs for the Platform Conference, you should definitely consider joining us for this event. Here is what we will be doing at this event: The Deeper Connection Session: During this session, every person will be given a few moments to introduce themselves. These introductions will be done in a fun and interesting way that will certainly help you get to know each of the other folks in the group on a much deeper level. The Next Level Resources Session: During this session, Cliff and Ray will go back and forth, in rapid fire succession, as they share their most valuable tips, tools and other resources that have helped them to achieve what is most important to them. There is no doubt that you will walk away with many valuable resources to take your own platform to the next level. The Most Valuable Investment Session: During this session, each member of the group will be given a few moments to share what they feel has been the most beneficial investment that they have made in taking their own platform to the next level. Hearing “what has worked” for others may be just the source of inspiration that you need to get a glimpse at new possibilities. AMA with Cliff & Ray Session: During this “Ask Me Anything” session, you will have the opportunity to ask Cliff or Ray ANYTHING you want. Both Cliff and Ray are very willing to share anything and everything from their own experiences that may be of help to you. So just think about it. If you could ask anything of Cliff or Ray, what would it be? Next, write that question down and bring it to this session. Spiritual Foundations: 3 ways to hear from God today. Know. Expect. Listen. It's easier than you think. Feature Presentation: How to Set Yourself Up For a Lean, Mean 2015 Here are 15 Practices I am adopting for a lean, mean, 2015: Devote more time to practicing the Presence of God. Evaluate all existing commitments and renegotiate or eliminate those that no longer work. Get more rest (8 hours + a nap). Read and eat slowly. Connect more deeply with a smaller number of people. Consume less, produce more. Upgrade my Mastermind. Schedule no more than 40% of my time. Say “No thank you” to 90% of requests for my time and energy. Spend 80% of my working time in the area of my Unique Ability. See Dan Sullivan's material on Unique Ability. Re-commit to GTD. Check out David Allen's GTD class on Lynda.com. Expand my use of templates. Make better use of my main tools: OmniFocus, DragonDictate, TextExpander, Evernote, Scrivener. Retire my email address and cell phone number. Simplify, simplify, and then simplify. Next Week:  Chris Brogan! Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed. Question: How do you plan to have a lean, mean 2015 – or do you? Click here to leave your comments.

The tag line in my logo says “Live with Joy, Lead with Passion, and Prosper with Purpose”. Occasionally someone asks me, “So how to do you that?” That's what today's episode is all about: answering that question. Announcements I am getting excited about the upcoming Platform Conference in Colorado Springs, starting November 9th. There are still a few seats available, and you can still save $100 when you click here and add the special code RAY to your order. Plus, Cliff Ravenscraft and I are hosting a special one-day event the day after the Platform Conference. This is a “Day With Cliff and Ray”, and if you're going to be in Colorado Springs for the Platform Conference, you should definitely consider joining us for this event. Here is what we will be doing at this event: The Deeper Connection Session: During this session, every person will be given a few moments to introduce themselves. These introductions will be done in a fun and interesting way that will certainly help you get to know each of the other folks in the group on a much deeper level. The Next Level Resources Session: During this session, Cliff and Ray will go back and forth, in rapid fire succession, as they share their most valuable tips, tools and other resources that have helped them to achieve what is most important to them. There is no doubt that you will walk away with many valuable resources to take your own platform to the next level. The Most Valuable Investment Session: During this session, each member of the group will be given a few moments to share what they feel has been the most beneficial investment that they have made in taking their own platform to the next level. Hearing “what has worked” for others may be just the source of inspiration that you need to get a glimpse at new possibilities. AMA with Cliff & Ray Session: During this “Ask Me Anything” session, you will have the opportunity to ask Cliff or Ray ANYTHING you want. Both Cliff and Ray are very willing to share anything and everything from their own experiences that may be of help to you. So just think about it. If you could ask anything of Cliff or Ray, what would it be? Next, write that question down and bring it to this session. Tip of the Week: I absolutely love the Field Guides at MacSparky, which is the blog of David Sparks. Currently I'm reading his guide on Presentations, as I'm preparing for my presentation at the Platform Conference. His Field Guides are thorough, media-rich, and darn near flawless. I also recommend the podcast he does with Katie Floyd, which is called Mac Power Users. Bonus Tip: Dan Franks and Jared Easley are doing the Business Podcaster Summit in January. This is a great, no-travel-required event you should consider putting on your calendar. Spiritual Foundations: Instead of looking for something to do in God’s word, look for something to believe. Here are 5 things to believe that will change your life. Speak them and hear them. My prayers are powerful and effective. (James 5:16) I hear God's voice. (John 10:27) Today is the best day yet. (2 Corinthians 3:18, Isaiah 9:6) Everywhere I go people encounter Jesus. (2 Corinthians 2:14) God is madly in love with me. (Psalm 33:18,  John 3:16-17) Thanks to Levi Hug from Bethel Church in Redding, California for these points. Feature Presentation: How to Live with Joy, Lead with Passion, and Prosper with Purpose So how does one actually do what I propose in my tagline? How you do “live with joy, lead with passion, and prosper with purpose?” While I could write a book about this (and I am in fact doing just that), I want to share a shorter answer. This answer is simple, but high-leverage. It's really just 3 steps: Decide Connect Pursue Decide to live with joy. Happiness is a decision first. Be careful little brain, what you think. Emotion follows motion. The bet cure for depression is usually a good run. Protect the asset. Get proper food, exercise, and rest. Connect your deepest passion to what you do every day. What do you do when you are free to do what you want? What did you dream about as a child? What do you do that makes you forget the clock? Pursue your life's purpose. Know why you are here on earth. Let purpose drive your life. Make sure you stay “on purpose”. Next Week:  Set Yourself Up For a Lean, Mean, 2015. Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed. Question: How do you manage to live with joy, lead with passion, and prosper with purpose? Click here to leave your comments.

Have you ever known anyone who just never seems to get what they want in life? They make lots of plans but things never seen to pan out well? I believe there are 5 requirements for getting successful outcomes in any area.   In today's episode I will share the 5 Requirements, and explain how you can put them to work starting today. Announcements: Thanks for the 5-star reviews on iTunes from Brian Knight of SuccessForNurses.com, and Cheri Fields at CreationScience4kids.com,  If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. I'm speaking at the Platform Conference in November. Register using this link, and as you check out enter the promo code RAY to save $100 on your ticket. Tip of the Week: Ever wish you had a better way to stand your iPad or iPhone upright? Try the Stump at StumpStore.com. Spiritual Foundations: What is the Kingdom, and how do we know we're in it? For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”Romans 14:17 We are instructed to seek first the Kingdom of God every day (Matthew 6:33). But what is the Kingdom of God? Is it good works? Being sinless? Bible reading? In Romans 14:17 Paul writes that the Kingdom of God isn't something outside you flowing in — “the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking”. It's something inside you flowing out — “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”. So how do we experience this practically? How do we “seek first God’s kingdom”? We must be flowing with righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Righteousness is not something you can work for, because it's not based on what you do. This righteousness is actually His righteousness, and it is a gift. (Romans 5:17; 1 Corinthians 1:30) We need to be grounded in the truth that you are the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21) The debt for your sin has been paid, so God says He has cleansed our conscience. We have peace with God and we also have the peace of God. So where does the joy come from? The same place it came from for the disciples. They were filled with joy when they saw Jesus, His hands and His side. (John 20:20) So here's what to do:  every day, practice seeing yourself righteous in Christ. This means don't be conscious of your sins – but rather be conscious of your righteousness. You may be listening to worship music, or to preaching or teaching, but whatever you are feeding yourself on should help you see Jesus, with His pierced hands and side, the same evidence of his finished work that gave the disciples joy. See all your sins forgiven, and you will experience peace and joy. This is exactly how to seek the kingdom of God! Feature Presentation: The 5 Requirements For Success In Anything Clarity Confidence Character Consistency Commitment Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed. Question: How have these 5 Requirements helped you to succeed – or how has their absence caused less than ideal results? Click here to leave your comments.

So what books have you read that changed you? This show is about my list of some of the life-changing books I have read. Some of them may surprise you. Announcements: If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. I'm speaking at the Platform Conference in November. Register using this link, and as you check out enter the promo code RAY to save $100 on your ticket. Tip of the Week: I discovered a neat little device that easily lets you clip you iPhone to the AC vent in your car. Surprisingly simple. It's the Kenu Airframe – Portable Smartphone Car Mount. Spiritual Foundations: How many times have you tried to lose weight, or quit smoking, or change some bad habit? Did you use willpower? How did that work out? Most will end up going overboard and binging on food cigarettes, sex, or whatever their “bad habit” was. Often you end up worse off that you were to start with. The reason is: you tried to do it on your own. God's promise is that he works in you both to do and will for his good pleasure. Repeat after me: “God, I can't do this, but you can!”Feature Segment: How to Write Emails That Get Response Feature Presentation: The Secret Book List That Changed My Life “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” Charlie “Tremendous” Jones Jesus Manifesto by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola Destined to Reign by Joseph Prince Unmerited Favor by Joseph Prince Business For The Glory Of God by Wayne Grudem 80/20 Sales and Marketing by Perry Marshall The Alchemist Paulo Coelho The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan The Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren Do the Work by Steven Pressfield The War of Art by Steven Pressfield Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield Platform by Michael Hyatt Accidental Genius: Using Wiring to Generate Your Best Ideas, Insight, and Content by Mark Levy Secrets of Dynamic Communications: Prepare With Focus, Deliver with Clarity, Speak with Power by Ken Davis The Stormlight Chronicles by Brandon Sanderson (Way of Kings, Words of Radiance) The Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss (The Name of the Wind, The Wise Man's Fear) Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed. Question: So how about you? What books are on your list? Click here to leave your comments.

I hear this complaint a lot: “People don’t respond to emails anymore. It’s like they don’t read them, or don’t have enough courtesy to write back.” Usually the person doing the complaining will then expand on how Western society is crumbling around our ears. Rather than spend our time complaining about how inconsiderate people have become, I suggest learning how to write emails that demand a response. Announcements: If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. I'm speaking at the Platform Conference in November. Register using this link, and as you check out enter the promo code RAY to save $100 on your ticket. Tip of the Week: Use the Parcel App to track your packages. This is a handy little app that lets you track all your packages on your iPad or iPhone, without having to log into a website. Spiritual Foundations: Don't let “Christian Stress” trip you up. Feature Segment: How to Write Emails That Get Response There are really two challenges here: first, to make sure people read your emails. Second, to make sure they answer your email while the message is still fresh. Here are five keys to doing both: Make your subject line attention-getting. The subject line of your email should be riveting, like a newspaper headline. The subject line’s job is to get the recipient to read the actual email. One way to do this is simply make your request in the subject line itself: “Can you come to dinner with me Thursday night at 7 PM?” Or, for example, “Do you have a copy of Michael’s PowerPoint slides?” Clearly ask for what you want. Don’t write a vague, rambling narrative, and then expect the recipient to figure out what you want. Get right to the point, and make your request clear: ask them to “deliver the report before 5 PM”… or to “bring the extra projector to the meeting room”… whatever it is you need, clearly make the request in the email itself. Let them know if you even require a response. If you need a response to your email, say so, and make it clear what the response should be. If you don’t need a response, you can simply in the email with, “no response required.” Keep your email short. Nobody is excited to see a novella show up in their inbox. Keep your email shorter than a page. Most email communications can be conveyed in five sentences or less. In fact, you might want to give this service a try. Only one subject per email. You’ll get a quicker response to your email messages if you only address one subject in each email. This makes it much easier for the recipient to get you the information or answers  you need. Your response won’t be held up by the recipient, as she tries to find an answer to just one of the seven questions you asked. What To Do Now Grab the Parcel App to track your packages. Use the above tips to write an email that gets a response! Forgo the “Christian Stress” in your life. Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed. Question: How did you get better response to your emails? Click here to leave your comments.

Last week we focused on writing powerful, persuasive copy. This week I'm bringing you an interview with a leader in the direct response marketing world – and the guy who has hired almost all the great living direct response copywriters. This is a rare interview with Brian Kurtz of Boardroom, Inc. Announcements: If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. I'm speaking at the Platform Conference in November. Register using this link, and as you check out enter the promo code RAY to save $100 on your ticket. Feature Segment: Interview With Brian Kurtz What To Do Now Claim your $2,500 bonus (1 hour of consultation with yours truly) by doing the following: Register for the Titans of Direct Response Marketing using this link. After you have registered, send a copy of your receipt to my support team here. We'll get on the phone and arrange your consultation. Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed. Question: Have you ever hired a great copywriter, or used the power of copy to sell your products or services? Click here to leave your comments.

One of the most important skills you can develop is the skill of writing persuasive copy. Copy that sells products and services. There is a formula for writing such copy, and in today's episode, I will share it. You can start using it today.. Announcements: If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the show. A big thanks to Camilla-NoMoreHamsterWheel, and DayneDad,  for giving us a review on iTunes in the last last week. I'm speaking at the Platform Conference in November. Register using this link, and as you check out enter the promo code RAY to save $100 on your ticket. Tip Of The Week  Split-test your life. In direct response marketing, we  test different elements of our marketing, honing on on the most effective variation. This process allows you to be constantly improve the outcomes you are achieving. It occurred to me that I could do the same in my personal life. Here are some routines and habits I am split testing in my own life: Doing my quiet time/”hour of power” each morning first vs. doing my most important work task first each morning. Exercising in the early morning hours vs. exercising in the afternoons. Recording my podcasts weekly vs. recording them 6 weeks in advance Caffeine intake vs. no caffeine intake. Naps each day vs. no  naps each day. The possibilities are endless. What can you split test in your personal life? Spiritual Foundations If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, overworked, and anxious – there is rest and peace for you. The Lord wants you to enter into His rest. Now, in the Kingom, everything is upside down. He who wants to be lifted up must bow down, those who want to rule must serve. and those would wish to be first must be last. To achieve God's rest does not mean that we are inactive. It means we understand that while we may labor with God, the outcome is up to Him, not to us. It is in vain that you rise up early     and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil;     for he gives to his beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2 So go ahead, and do what needs to be done – but rest. And when you have done all you can do, then stand. Leave the outcome to God. Feature Segment: How to Write Web Copy That Sells Here is the formula for writing web copy that sells your products and services. First: why it's necessary. People don't take any action initially. They don't know you, like you, or trust you. Copy fills in the gap. Why it's so long. We need to answer all the objections ahead of time. Better for us to raise and answer all the questions first. It's time for a new paradigm. To Sell More, P.A.S.T.O.R. Your Customers A Five-Part Framework For Better Sales Copy If you want to sell more of your products and services, or even simply sell more people on your ideas, you must learn the basics of the art of copywriting. But what is copywriting, really? One of my favorite definitions was given by a man named John E. Kennedy, back in 1904. Kennedy defined advertising (and copywriting) as: “salesmanship in print.” If you can write effective sales copy, you can literally write your own paycheck. There really should be no such thing as a “broke copywriter”. By definition, good copywriters can create money out of thin air. So why does copy so often fail? Copywriting Fails When You Ignore Universal Principles There are universal psychological triggers that help you sell more effectively. The problem is, the field of copywriting is strewn with misleading, manipulative, and even in some cases malicious techniques. You can hardly “swing a cat” without hitting a copywriter who has a “formula” for writing copy. Most of these formulas are actually quite good.  Many however, are based on tricks of manipulation and psychology that are more than a bit morally wonky. The framework I’m going to share with you today, though, is intentionally based on universal principles that are focused on doing good, and helping people make decisions that are in their own best interest. To Sell More, P.A.S.T.O.R. Your Customers Most people associate the term “pastor” with the preacher at church. While this is certainly true in most cases, the original meaning of the word “pastor” was actually “to shepherd”. And what does the shepherd do? He or she cares for, feeds, and protects the flock. Now, before we go any further, I should address the habit that some marketers have of referring to their customers as their “herd”. It seems to paint an unflattering picture. This kind of imagery is not what I am invoking here. The actual role of a shepherd is a loving, caring, and protective one. In fact, Jesus, who called himself the “good Shepherd”, actually laid down his life for his flock. I am not suggesting any religious overtones for your copy: what I am suggesting is that you adopt the same loving, caring, and protective role as you write copy for your prospects and customers. And, as you might’ve guessed, P.A.S.T.O.R. is also an acronym for the major sections of your copy. Here is the explanation: “P” is for PROBLEM You must begin by identifying  the problem that you are solving. The simplest, most effective way to do this is to describe the problem in great detail. It’s a psychological principle: the more accurately you can describe your reader’s problem in terms they relate to, the more they instinctively feel that you must have an answer to that problem. Use the reader’s own language, the very words and phrases they use to describe the problem they want to solve. For instance, if you are writing about fitness and weight loss, you might begin by describing their current situation this way: “You've tried every fad diet that’s come along. You’ve started and stopped a dozen different exercise programs, perhaps joined several different gyms, but the truth is you just can’t seem to take the weight off (or keep it off.) Perhaps you’re even feeling a little disgusted with yourself and your inability to control your eating and your weight. You feel like no matter what you try, it’s not going to work.” Remember, you’re not judging their behavior, rather you are describing their experience as it currently is. This means you have to understand their experience as it currently is. You have to know your audience and what they are thinking. As the great copywriting legend Robert Collier said, you have to “join the conversation that is already taking place in the reader’s mind.” “A” is for AMPLIFY The next step is to amplify the consequences of not solving the problem. This is really the key to making sales, and it is probably the most neglected step in the process. What will motivate people to buy your product, invest in your service, or accept your idea is usually not the beautiful outcome framed in a positive light. It is rather, realizing the cost of not attaining that outcome. In other words: what is it costing them to not solve this problem? When I’m writing copy about a business improvement program, for instance, I may have the reader walk through a simple exercise like this:  “Write down your average monthly income over the last 12 months. Then write down what you want your average monthly income to be. Let’s say that your average income is $5000 per month, and your goal is actually to make $15,000 per month in your business. That means the “gap” between where you are and where you want to be is $10,000 per month. You’re paying a cost of $10,000 every month you don’t solve this problem.” “S” is for STORY and SOLUTION  Once you have described the problem, and amplified the consequences of not solving it, it’s time to share the story of how the problem can be solved. This will be different depending on your situation. It might be the story of how you yourself finally solved this persistent problem. It might be the story of how you helped a client or customer discover the solution on their own. It does need to be more than simply a description of what the solution is: telling the story of Bob, the frustrated business owner who was on the edge of bankruptcy, whose family had lost faith in him, and who, out of desperation tried one last idea that saved his business… is infinitely more powerful than simply saying, “One day, Bob figured out the answer.” It should go without saying, but I will say it just in case: the story must absolutely be true. Don’t make these things up. And if you’re thinking, “But what if there is no story?” I would suggest you just haven’t looked closely enough. There is always a story to tell. “T” is for TRANSFORMATION and TESTIMONY The next key step in writing your copy is to remember that whatever you’re selling, whether it’s a home study program, a book, a seminar, your consulting services… anything at all… what people are buying is not the “stuff”, it’s the transformation. When people buy the P90X workout program, they did not wake up one morning and say to themselves, “I sure hope today somebody tries to sell me a bunch of DVDs and a wall chart.”  Those things (the DVD’s, charts, etc) are the “stuff”. What buyers of P90X are actually purchasing is that lean, healthy, youthful physique they want for themselves. The transformation. It’s also important that you offer testimony, real-life stories of people who have made the transformation that you are teaching, and who have done so successfully. Study the most successful infomercials, and you'll discover that they consist of about 70% testimonials. And while most of us will not be writing infomercials, it’s important to remember there are three questions people are asking when you sell them coaching, consulting, or instruction about anything. The questions are: Has this person been able to do what they are describing for themselves? Has this person been able to teach other people to achieve the results they are describing? Will this person be able to teach me how to achieve these results? “O” is for OFFER So far, you have defined the problem, clarified the cost of not solving it, told the story of the solution, and helped your reader visualize the transformation through testimonials from others just like themselves. Now is the time to describe exactly what you are offering for sale. This is the section of your copy where you lay out your offer. You can even create a subheading for the section called something clever like, “Here’s Exactly What You Get”. Make certain that you focus 80% of your copy on the transformation itself. You do have to talk about the deliverables (the class schedule, the DVDs, etc.), but that should only occupy about 20% of your copy in this section. Just remember that as you describe the deliverables in the offer section, you must keep tying them back to the transformation and benefits your buyers will receive.  So instead of simply writing that the buyer will receive “8 DVDs, each containing a 45 minute workout session”, you might instead write that they will receive “8 DVDs that each contain a body-sculpting, fat-burning transformational work out that will help you craft the lean muscle you really want.” “R” is for RESPONSE This is one of the areas where copy tends to often be the weakest: the response request. We are asking the customer to buy. At this point, you should not be shy about making this request. You should tell the customer exactly what to do in order to get your program, your consulting, your book, etc. You should remind them why it’s important o do so. I often write copy similar to this: “You're at the point of decision. You can either continue down the path of least resistance, the path you have already been traveling, or you can choose the road less traveled. The path of least resistance will probably result in you getting the same outcomes you’ve always received. But if you want something different to happen, if you want to change the direction of your health (or your relationships, or your finances, etc.) you’re going to have to do something different. Make a new choice, and pursue your new outcome.” And then I will write very specific, directive copy telling them exactly what to do next: “Click the button below, fill out the order form, and we will immediately ship your entire package to you. It will contain everything you need to get started.” Some people shy away from strong language like this, but the fact is, if you truly believe that you have a solution that will solve a problem for people, why on earth would you not be as direct as possible in telling them how to get that solution? In fact, aren’t you doing them a disservice by not making the strongest case possible? My suggestion is that you use this framework to write or rewrite your sales copy. The key to making this approach to writing sales copy successful is the having the mindset of being a “pastor”. If you apply the principles of being a shepherd to your readers, and you follow the sequence of the P.A.S.T.O.R formula, my prediction is you will experience more sales, more profits, and more happy customers… more often.  What To Do Now Steps you can take to put this week's episode content to work for you: Split-test elements of your daily life and habits. Sign up for the free webinar training on how to write a book in 30 days or less. Run your sales copy through the P.A.S.T.O.R. framework. Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed. Question: What one action will you take from today's podcast that will move you toward the success you seek? Click here to leave your comments.

Most small businesses will fail. According to StatisticBrain.com, 25% of businesses will fail in year one, by year five the failure rate is 55%, by year ten it's 71%. Why does this happen? There are many explanations being offered, from industry changes to economic environment. My strong belief is that most of these so-called reasons are excuses. And when we get right down to the real reasons most businesses fail, it turns out the top 10 reasons are all within your control. In this episode I will explain what the 10 true reasons are, and how to control them and increase your odds of success. Announcements: If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the show. A big thanks to Phil Conrad, Chris Michalowski, Kent Julian, for giving us a review on iTunes in the last last week. I'm speaking at the Platform Conference in November. Register using this link, and as you check out enter the promo code RAY to save $100 on your ticket. Tip Of The Week  Did  you ever sit squirming in the movie theater, because you needed to run to the restroom but didn't want to miss an important scene? Now there's an app to help you out. It's called RunPee! RunPee lets you call up the movie you're watching and the app will tell you when is a good time to go to the restroom, how long you have, and even tell you what happens while you're gone. It has silent alarms you can set up, letting you know when it's safe to go to the bathroom, so you don't have to take out your phone in the dark theater. The best part is… it's free! Click here to get the RunPee app.   Spiritual Foundations Following Jesus can be confusing sometimes. First of all, Jesus himself said some of the most puzzling things. And now, 2,000 years after he rose from the dead, there are many conflicting opinions about what he said and did. How do you know who is telling the truth? Who really represents the Spirit of god, and who is a false teacher or false prophet? I think there are 5 distinguishing characteristics that should be warning signals of false teachers or doctrines. (For further reading, see 1 John.) Claims to be the “one true way”. Promotes an “us against them” mindset. Sets up one person as the “ultimate authority” who must be blindly obeyed. Over-emphasizes one doctrine or scripture in a weird way. Uses fear and manipulation to control followers. Remember what Jesus himself said: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) Feature Segment: The 10 True Real Reasons Your Business Will Probably Fail Most businesses do not close because of competition, the economy, regulation, or any of the other excuses businesses owners use to explain their failure. Most businesses that fail do so because of preventable mistakes on the part of the business owner. The most common reasons are: Mediocre product, customer service. No employee training system. No marketing system. No investment in business/staff improvement. No clear objectives. No testing and tracking. Inefficiency. Laziness. No advisors. No cash. In the audio, I explore each of these in depth, and provide solutions to each of these problems. What To Do Now Steps you can take to put this week's episode content to work for you: Get your business or web site promoted on my show by givings us a review in iTunes! Review the list of the 10 reasons businesses fail and ask yourself: could I improve in any of these areas? Do what it takes to correct any of the mistakes you or your company might be making right now. Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed. Question: What action will you take this week to strengthen your own business? Click here to leave your comments.

“How do I really start my own online business?” This is a question I hear pretty often. Recently I found myself saying, “Well, it's pretty simple. You just need to…” and then I heard myself spewing out a long list of stuff that was anything but simple. Clearly I needed a simpler, more cohesive answer to this question. That's what this episode is all about. Announcements: If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the show. A big thanks to Ben Wally and Matt McWilliams for giving us a review on iTunes last week. I'm speaking at the Platform Conference in November. Register using this link, and as you check out enter the promo code RAY to save $100 on your ticket. Tip Of The Week  This week I'm recommending another book, Ryan Holiday's The Obstacle Is The Way.  In life we are often frustrated by the obstacles we face. Throughout history, there has been a different way of viewing obstacles. A way that was familiar to John D. Rockefeller, Amelia Earhart, Ulysses S. Grant, and Steve Jobs. A belief that the obstacle is not in the way, but that it is the way. The philosophy behind this belief was articulated by the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, who struggled to define the way of excellence in any circumstance. In this book, Holiday spells out in simple language that very philosophy. “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” — Marcus Aurelius   Spiritual Foundations What do you trust God with? Over the last few weeks, my life has been deeply impacted by an insight I received from my wife Lynn. In this section of the show, I explain the insight and how to put it to work in your own life. Feature Segment: How To Really Build An Online Business The Right Mindset. This is the crucial foundation you must build on if you want a sustainable business. Something To Say Or Sell (Book & Speech). You must find your own Unique Wisdom Message, and distill that into a Signature Book, Signature Speech, and Signature Product Line. “Platform” Website. These days we don't wait to be invited to the platform, we build our own. Email List. Your most important asset is your email list, and the relationship you cultivate with those people. Social Media System. It's crucial to find a way to market with Social Media without allowing it to consume your time. Content. The currency of marketplace preeminence is the creation and distribution of valuable content that solves a problem people actually have. Traffic. A store with no people in the door is a store that soon will be no more. Conversion. You must convert browsers into buyers if you want to produce profits. Cash Register. The simple but vital matter of how you will be paid. In the audio, I explore each of these in depth, and provide the actual resources I use and recommend for each part of the system. Here are links to the products and services I mentioned in this episode. Content Creation and Other Training Rapid Writing System. Our training program that teaches you how to write and publish your book in 30 days or less. How to Profit From What You Already Know. Our comprehensive course on building a business based on your knowledge, experience, and wisdom. 3-Day Live Intensive. Our 3-day seminar where I share the very latest tactics and tool that are working right now, today. Dreamstorm Workshop. Currently our most exclusive training, where I personally help you discover your Unique Wisdom Message, and turn that into a book, speech, and integrated product suite. (Limited seats available for the July 8-10 event, click here to apply. Acceptance not guaranteed.) Platform. The book by Michael Hyatt that is a must-read. Platform University. A highly recommended membership community. Website Building WordPress. Framework for building your web site. Just use it. Bluehost. This is our recommended hosting company. Get Noticed! Theme. The WordPress theme I currently use and recommend. Studiopress. Very reliable, highly recommended themes for WordPress. Email Marketing Aweber. Email marketing software service. Mailchimp. Email marketing software service, free for the first 2,000 subscribers. InfusionSoft. Handles your email marketing, customer relationship management, and commerce (shopping cart). Conversion and Cash Register Rapid Copywriting. Our course that teaches how to write sales copy fast & easy, including templates. Writing Riches. My book about sales copy. Wishlist. Plugin that turns your WordPress site into a members download area, or full-fledged membership site. LeadPages. Easy software for making landing pages of all kinds. Paypal. Take payments online. PowerPay. Accept credit cards directly on your site. Other Recommended Sites Michael Hyatt Amy Porterfield Cliff Ravenscraft Stu McLaren What To Do Now Here are some steps you can take to put this week's episode content to work for you: Review my 9-item checklist for building your online business and determine what you're still missing. Decide what the next logical step is you can take to fill in your first gap – and take that action immediately. Schedule the remaining actions over the next 90 days. Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed. Question: What part of the system do you still need to fill in to make your business complete? Click here to leave your comments.

The 11th episode of the Empowered Podcast features Facebook marketing expert, Amy Porterfield. I caught up with Amy at the Platform Conference in Dallas, Texas. She shares some of the self-doubt-based questions she asked herself when she decided to leave Tony Robbins' company. Amy's Mission: To help small business owners like YOU get results, not […] Click here EP11: Where Success Comes from & How to Get it w/ Amy Porterfield (@AmyPorterfield) to visit Ellory Wells and leave a comment.

I just attended the single best business conference I've ever been to… and it has nothing to do with my being one of the speakers! Today, I share my notes from this week's Platform Conference. By the time you listen to today's podcast, you will have discovered: The real secret to stress-free productivity How to get your business cards imported into your smart phone for free Why you procrastinate and how to stop doing that A simple formula that allows you to WOW your customers The secret that allowed Jeff Goins to build 100,000 readers for his blog The simple method for building an intimate connection with your tribe that will surprise you The altar you are probably worshiping at that will eventually kill you, and what to do about it Why it's important for you to make as much money as possible And much, much more! Announcements: The Return of the Lifestyle Business Segment, and listener questions. Our first ever annual readers poll is coming tomorrow.  Next week I'll be offering a free video training series on writing powerful persuasive copy. Be looking for it. A new listener comment contest. Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking: Private Client Meeting, Dec 2-4 NMX, Jan 4-6, 2014, Las Vegas, NV Strategic Influence Jan 14-16, 2014, Phoenix, AZ NAMS 11 February 7-9, 2014, Atlanta, GA Social Media Marketing World, March 26-28, 2014, San Diego, CA “Permission to Prosper” April 8-10, 2014, Spokane, WA Tip Of The Week Cardmunch is a free iPhone app that turns business cards into contacts. Spiritual Foundations We accomplish the most from a place of rest. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 Rest does not equal in activity. It means that we are able to be active without fear, doubt, or emotional striving. We become peace inside chaos, we are the call my at the center of the storm. Feature Segment: What I Learned From The Platform Conference Nearly every significant turning point in my life has been marked by attending a conference.  which is not to say that every conference I have attended was a life changer; but even at the “poorly produced” conferences, I always learn something of value. This week, I  had a life-changing experience at the single best business conference I have ever had the privilege of attending, the Platform Conference in Dallas, Texas. How does this affect you? As always, I seek to learn everything I can and then bring it back here to share with you. While not every one of the ideas I'm going to share is necessarily be applicable to you, I believe many of them will. Here are some (not all) of the most valuable things I learned at this year's platform conference. The absolute imperative of building your own platform. “Platform” is a metaphor for the stage you construct from which you share your ideas, insights, and advice. As Michael Hyatt says in his book Platform, building a platform is how you “get noticed in a noisy world”. I write frequently about creating strategic influence; which means to exert influence in the lives of people who have never even met you. The mechanism by which you do this is your platform. Although I have long been a proponent of platform building, after this week's conference I am absolutely convinced it is of paramount importance for anyone who has something important to say, or something useful to sell. The dynamic tension between excellence and procrastination. Michael Hyatt started us off with a powerful presentation that reiterated the five-part framework of his book. (Incidentally, for all my students and coaching clients, that book is required reading.) Michael teaches that we must start every project by “baking in WOW”. The key to creating the “wow” experience for our readers and customers is to exceed their expectations. I came home with a long list of things I need to do to bake more “wow” into everything we do at my company. The other side of the coin is, it's easy to use this commitment to excellence as an excuse to never get anything off the ground. Seth Godin makes it clear it's important that we “ship”-that we get a project out the door and into the hands of our audience or tribe. Perfectionism is the mother of procrastination.” -Michael Hyatt Ken Davis offered a startling perspective on creating  “WOW”. Ken is  a best-selling author, frequent radio and television guest, and one of the country's most sought-after inspirational and motivational speakers,  Ken's premise is that WOW is “found at the intersection of pretty, practical and personal.” He shared compelling examples of this from real-life advertising and marketing campaigns. Apple Computer is, of course, the primary example of a company doing this right. Think about it. Every product they introduce has all three of those elements. Yesterday I got my new iPhone 5s. I assure you that it is very pretty, it is extraordinarily practical, and my password is actually my thumb print: you can't get more personal than that. Also, implicit in Ken's brilliant instruction was the importance of being interesting and entertaining. This is something Ken teaches at his SCORRE  conference, which I plan to attend next May. Jeff Goins, who writes a frustratingly beautiful blog at GoinsWriter.com (frustrating only because he makes writing brilliantly look incredibly easy), inspired us with his session. I took many notes from Jeff's talk, which was about starting from scratch and building a platform with words, passion and people. My big take away from Jeff's talk was this: the key to succeeding at platform building is not about “who you know”, it's about who you can help. This includes not only helping other influential speakers, authors, and bloggers… More importantly, it's about the tribe of readers you help. Focusing on that will eventually bring you the attention your message merits. As I stopped chasing attention, more people began paying attention to what I had to say.” -Jeff Goins Cliff Ravenscraft, the founder of the podcast mastermind, has produced over 3100 podcast episodes. He has helped thousands of people and organizations launch successful podcasts. While Michael Hyatt inspired me to start my podcast, Cliff provided me with the practical knowledge, tools, and advice that have allowed me to succeed as a podcaster. Cliff made it clear in his talk that the opportunities and benefits of podcasting can dramatically shift your success as a platform builder. While I am obviously a proponent of podcasting, it was only after watching clips presentation that I realized what an incredibly powerful “secret weapon” podcasting is for building your platform there is no other way to build such an incredibly intimate connection with people. And at this point in time, competition is very thin in podcasting. While I knew in principle this was true, I don't pay much attention to my chart rankings in iTunes. But while listening to Cliff speak, I checked and discovered my own podcast ranks in the top 25 in the world for business and marketing advice on iTunes! Thanks Cliff, for the reminder. Lysa Terkeurst, The New York Times best-selling author and president of Proverbs 31 ministries, knocked me off my feet with her presentation. Lysa is a bona fide celebrity, and yet she is the most humble and approachable person you'll ever meet. I'm a bit of  word nerd, so when Lysa started sharing her copywriting techniques for writing value propositions, I swooned.  She was inspiring, smart, and entertaining. She was also incredibly generous and although she shared. Amy Porterfield is a friend I only met in the “real world” just this week. Amy and I first met a few years ago, when she was still working for Tony Robbins. She was actually the person in Tony's organization who hired me to write copy for Tony. Since leaving his organization, Amy has built an amazing business, created one of the most successful podcasts on the subject of marketing (click here for the Online Marketing Made Easy podcast), and authored a book called Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies. Amy gave a stunning presentation on her Facebook advertising secrets. I promise you I'm already at work implementing her ideas for my own business. But, that's not the most valuable thing I learned from my friend Amy. I watched her while an audience full of seasoned business professionals was held captive by her stark and transparent admission of how overwork had almost wrecked her life… and how setting a new standard has given her freedom, satisfaction, and even more success. When you worship at the altar of “hustle” you say yes to everything because it never feels like you're doing enough.” -Amy Porterfield Amy Porterfield, you did in fact change my life this week.  I hereby renounce my worship of the idol called “hustle”. Derek Halpern is the creator of the well-known blog Social Triggers. Derek is a brilliant business thinker, and approaches marketing with the attitude of a scientist. He dives deep into scientific research and finds ways to apply it to social media, blogging, and online marketing. He has influenced the marketing approach of thousands of business people, and host one of the top marketing podcast on iTunes. He also dresses like a boss. Derek may have been the most prepared presenter I've ever encountered (well, other than Michael Hyatt!) I was most impacted by a simple statement from Derrick: “Don't sell often, but when you do, so hard.” By “selling hard”, Derek does not mean to be and of noxious pushy salesperson… he carefully studies the desires of his marketplace, and tailors every nuance of his marketing and selling specifically to the people who need what he has to offer. Powerful stuff. Stu McLaren is the co-founder of WishList member, the membership site solution for WordPress that now powers over 43,000 online communities. Stu is of course a great friend of mine, and we are perfectly aligned when it comes to the moral rightness of prospering in business. I took more notes during Stu's presentation than anyone else's, but without a doubt the single most powerful thing he had to say (at least in my opinion) was this: “The more money you make, the more impact you can have.” Amen, Stu McLaren. Michele Cushatt was the MC of the conference, and her bright and cheerful personality said just the right tone for the entire event. But that was only the precursor to what had to be one of the most powerful talks I have ever heard. There was a moment in her speech that had the entire room in total silence, except for an occasional sniffle… because she also had managed to bring tears to the eyes of most of the attendees. Those tears were not generated by some trite emotional device, but by a powerful moment in which she revealed the truth about why many of us struggle with achieving our full potential. I hesitate to say more, because when you get the chance to hear Michele speak (and you will, because her star is rising), I don't want to spoil this special moment for you. Suffice it to say, Michele, if you are reading this… I have promised myself to dive deep into life. Thank you, my new friend, for how you contributed to my experience of life. 3 Powerful Takeaways From The Conference Itself. I know I've already shared quite a few insights, but it's only a fraction of what I took away from the conference this week. When I zoom out another level, I also learned some valuable lessons from the overall conference experience. And for this learning, I have to give credit to Michael Hyatt, Ken Davis, and their amazing team, who crafted a framework that allowed this event to have  such impact. Here are three of the many learnings I gleaned from the overall conference experience. WOW is in the details.  Michael and Ken  pay close attention to every detail of this conference, from the choice of venue (it was beautiful and comfortable), to the way the rooms were set up, to the number of people staffing the event making sure things were happening happening smoothly, to all the printed materials that accompany the event. Every element was high quality, with attention being paid to design and the experience that the attendees had. In fact, from beginning to end, this can conference embodied the intersection of pretty, practical, and personal. For me, the Platform Conference raised the bar on how these things ought to be done, and you will see the results at my upcoming Permission to Prosper event in Spokane next year. Community multiplies the benefits of training. It was not lost on me that connecting people to one another was carefully engineered into the entire conference structure. There was a networking reception the night before any of the conference activities began, there was ample space between sessions for people to connect the network. We took many meals together, there are few things more powerful than breaking bread with other people to connect and bond you to one another. Is it more expensive for the promoter to provide such opportunities? Undoubtedly. Does it provide a deeper more fulfilling experience for attendees? Absolutely. Devotion to your participants is primary in importance. I have never been asked to do more as a speaker at a conference that this one. And I have never been more delighted with my conference experience than at this one. I attended every session, I was present at every networking meal, and made myself available every waking hour to meet with attendees. It was tiring, hard work… but it was so rewarding. I'm sure that sounds noble, but I have to be honest, I feel the person most rewarded was me. I met so many brilliant, loving, powerful, and remarkable people. My life will be forever changed by those I encountered and had the privilege of getting to know. I'm absolutely convinced I made several new lifelong friends at this event. The environment that fostered these kinds of relationships (not just for me, but for everyone who attended) was intentionally produced by Michael and Ken, and will be incorporated into any future events that I myself produce. What To Do Now How can you benefit from my notes? Pick three of my takeaways and use them.  Decide exactly how you're going to incorporate them into your business, and then schedule it on your calendar. I look forward to hearing the results you produce. If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Question:  What have you learned from conferences that has changed your life for the better? Click here to leave your comments.  

I Checked My Guns At The Door! In this week's episode, I share my thoughts as I return from the Platform Conference. I talk about the conference itself, I share my favorite thing about the past week and I share a great deal of information about the talk that I gave and how I took […] The post 333 Checking Your Guns At The Door – Review of Platform Conference Dallas 2013 appeared first on The Cliff Ravenscraft Show. I have other podcasts that might be of interest to you. See my list of shows at http://CliffRavenscraft.com/podcast Let's Work Together! Would you like to connect with me through one-on-one coaching or through one of my paid mastermind groups? If so, visit my WORK WITH ME PAGE and submit an application today.

I will never forget the day I heard the bad news about copywriting. And now, I'm about to give you that same bad news.  I heard the news from an off-the-wall copywriter in Utah, who had miraculously survived a brain tumor. I'll tell you the whole story in today's episode. And what it means to you. Announcements: Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking: Platform Conference, Nov 3-5 2013, Dallas, TX Private Client Meeting, Dec 2-4 “The Forge” NMX, Jan 4-6, 2014, Las Vegas, NV Strategic Influence Jan 14-16, 2014, Phoenix, AZ NAMS 11 February 7-9, 2014, Atlanta, GA Social Media Marketing World, March 26-28, 2014, San Diego, CA “Permission to Prosper” April 8-10, 2014, Spokane, WA Tip Of The Week This week, my tip of the week is a simple exercise… a short question that can totally revamp your perspective on your business, and even your life. Spiritual Foundations  God wants us to build people up, not tear them down. “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29 This is only possible when we begin to see other people the way God sees them. And he saw enough in them, even the people we are fear or we hate, to actually die in their place. “You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?” 1 Cor 3:3 Feature Segment: 7 Things You Don't Want to Hear About Copywriting Here are the seven inconvenient truths about copywriting: It takes work. Not everyone is good at it. Even the best have flops. Sometimes it's not necessary. It works almost like magic. Long copy usually works best. The most effective copy probably will embarrass you in front of your friends. If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Question:    Do you write your own sales copy, or do you have someone write it for you? Click here to leave your comments.  

It's harder than ever to get people to share their email address. Nobody wants more spam in their inbox. What's a marketer to do? The solution to the problem is surprisingly simple, and increasingly difficult. But it's well worth the effort as I will demonstrate in today's episode. Announcements: Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking: The Wisdom Thesis Workshop, October 9-11 Private Mastermind Group, October 28-30 SCORRE Conference, October 14-17 Platform Conference, November 3-5 Private Mastermind Group, December 17 NAMS 11 February 7-9, 2014 “Permission to Prosper” April 8-10, 2014   Tip Of The Week Drafts for iOS is my new mobile text editor of choice. For the past week I've been traveling using only my iPad as my main computer. Spiritual Foundations Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly…but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1–2 All over the world, men and women are looking for wisdom. If you want proof, just visit the self-help section of the bookstore. I've often said that self-help is no help, and it often becomes shelf help. I don't mean to say there is no wisdom in those books. The fact that the Bible urges us not to sit in the “counsel of the ungodly” means that the ungodly actually do have counsel. But it also tells us that those who meditate on Jesus day and night “shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” Keep your eyes on Jesus, seek out his wisdom and counsel, and the counsel of others who follow him. It will cause you to prosper. Feature Segment: How to Create Lead Magnets That Attract Prospects By now, you are certainly convinced that you must build an email list if you want to succeed in marketing online. You may be a little more advanced, and understand that it's only partially true that “the money is in the list”… You may have realized that the money is actually in your relationship with the list. The relationship starts with how you acquired the list. Purchased emails are at the bottom of the barrel, as they are almost certainly spam. Opt in for a “free newsletter” or even a “free report” are somewhat higher up the food chain, but not much. Yet some people manage to create lead magnets that draw people like a gravitational field. How do they do this, and more importantly, how can you? Know your customer Know the customer's FFA's Develop a unique solution Solve their problem with power, elegance, and finality Communicate the value of your offer Deliver on what you promise Provide the answer in each modality, with excellence The fortune is in the follow-up If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Question: How have you used testimonials to help market your business? Click here to leave your comments.  

We all know we should be using testimonials to help sell our products and services. But there's another, less obvious use that can boost your bottom line. This week's episode, I'll explain how you can actually make sales by giving testimonials to other people… Even your competitors. Announcements: Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking: The Wisdom Thesis Workshop, October 9-11 Private Mastermind Group, October 28-30 SCORRE Conference, October 14-17 Platform Conference, November 3-5 Private Mastermind Group, December 17 NAMS 11 February 7-9, 2014 “Permission to Prosper” April 8-10, 2014   Tip Of The Week TextExpander allows you to type less, while writing much more. Spiritual Foundations Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. Acts 2:46, NIV Holy Communion, or the Lord's Supper, is how we access the life of Jesus. When you break the bread, remember that he took the punishment in his physical body so that we could be completely healed. When you drink the wine, be reminded that Jesus has already paid the price for every sin. The point is to be reminded that what matters is not what we do, but what Jesus has already done. The more we can be aware of this, the more his grace we will see manifested in our lives. Feature Segment: How to Market With Testimonials I'm not talking about using testimonials where people proclaim how useful your product is, or how great you are. Those are important, and you should use the. But there is another way of marketing using testimonials that is less obvious. I'm talking about giving testimonials to others, and being strategic about what you say when offering those testimonials. Make your testimonial truthful, to the point, and inspirational. Be as specific as possible about results. Pay attention to production quality. Make it useful to the recipient. Strategically embed your USP and your web address. Remember the “Before – during – after” framework. Use a powerful closing statement. Make your testimonial easy for the recipient to use. Be proactive in offering testimonials. Example Testimonial If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Question: How have you used testimonials to help market your business?Click here to leave your comments.  

Productivity is about more than the right day planner, a particular methodology, and certainly more than having a good “to do list”. In today's episode, I interview one of my favorite podcast hosts, Erik J. Fisher of the Beyond the to Do List Podcast. Other highlights coming up in today's show… I give you my initial read on iOS7… the good, the bad, and yes… the ugly How you can be sure God is not mad at you. At least three powerful takeaways on productivity from Erik. And then we have the ever popular, “much, much more.” Announcements: Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking: The Wisdom Thesis Workshop, October 9-11 Private Mastermind Group, October 28-30 SCORRE Conference, October 14-17 Platform Conference, November 3-5 Private Mastermind Group, December 17 NAMS 11 February 7-9, 2014 “Permission to Prosper” April 8-10, 2014 Tip Of The Week I have been using the new iOS7 since the day it came out. Here are my initial thoughts. (You have to listen to the episode to get my thoughts!) Spiritual Foundations Your sins will not be played for all to see on Heaven's big screen television. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more. Hebrews 8:12 Feature Segment: Interview With Erik J. Fisher In today's episode, I interview one of my favorite podcast hosts, Erik J. Fisher of the Beyond the to Do List Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Question:   How do you get “beyond the to do list” and boost your productivity? Click here to leave your comments.  

What is the one secret that can accelerate the growth of your business, and every other area of your life? I believe it is the crucible of companionship. This weeks episode is all about how to create your own Mastermind Group. Here are three good reasons to keep listening… If you want to compress time, and achieve more in 12 weeks than most people can achieve in 12 years… If you want to avoid pitfalls, perils, and mistakes… If you want to achieve more success, with less stress, and less effort… Then this episode is definitely for you. Announcements: Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking: SCORRE Conference, October 14-17 Platform Conference, November 3-5 Private Mastermind Group, November Tip Of The Week A free set of videos that are a kind of “short course” on how to launch a product on the Internet. These will be available for a limited time, so grab them now. Click here for the videos. Spiritual Foundations  If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, or hopeless… help is on the way. Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine. When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end— Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That’s how much you mean to me! That’s how much I love you! I’d sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you. So don’t be afraid: I’m with you. Isaiah 43:1-5 Feature Segment: How To Start Your Own Mastermind Group One major key to any success I have enjoyed has been the principle of the Mastermind. Mastermind Groups have played a big role in propelling my business forward. What are the benefits of a Mastermind Group? Positive peer pressure Different perspective the Hawthorne principal  How to Start A Mastermind Group Determine Your Purpose Create a Dream List Of Members Draft a Proposal Invite Your Dream Team Provide Leadership Set Regular Meetings Establish Ground Rules Provide Order and Structure Avoid “Creep Factor” Recommended Resource: Dan Miller has a product called Creating Your Own Mastermind Group, which I highly recommend. If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Question:   How do you make use of “Value Creation Marketing” in your business? Click here to leave your comments.  

The pressure is on. You need to come up with big ideas for a client, or for your own business, or just to get yourself out of a problem. But being under the gun for a big idea is just the kind of environment that seems to stop the flow of said big ideas. Today show is about how to get big ideas on demand. Announcements: Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking: The Wisdom Thesis Workshop, October 9-11 Private Mastermind Group, October SCORRE Conference, October 14-17 Platform Conference, November 3-5 Private Mastermind Group, November NAMS 11 February 7-9, 2014 “Permission to Prosper” April 8-10, 2014 Tip Of The Week Slideshark for making presentations on your iPad. Spiritual Foundations For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:14 Feature Segment: How To Get Big Ideas On Demand Ray's Big Idea-Getting Formula: Clear your mind Clear your desk Turn off distractions Whiteboard it! Use a process (like Wisdom Thesis) Cross-pollinate Evaluate For a complete description of the Wisdom Thesis, register for Friday's webinar (WARNING: no replay). If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Question:   How do you come up with your best ideas? Click here to leave your comments.  

Episode Show Notes jeffsanders.com/011 Learn More About the Show The 5 AM Miracle Podcast Free Productivity Resources Join The 5 AM Club! Connect on Social Media Facebook Group • Instagram • Twitter • LinkedIn Episode Summary Are you ready to take yourself to the next level? This week's episode of The 5 AM Miracle Podcast features an interview with Ray Edwards, author of Writing Riches. This guy is so amazing, he outdoes me with a 4am Miracle! Resources Mentioned in the Show RayEdwards.com [Ray’s website] The Ray Edwards Show Podcast [hosted by . . . Ray Edwards] Writing Riches [book by Ray Edwards] Omnifocus [productivity system] GTD [getting things done system by David Allen] Basecamp [online project management system] Evernote [how to never forget anything] Scrivener [writing application] Focus Time [iPhone app] Tony Robbins [speaker and author] SCORRE Conference [for public speakers] Platform Conference [for anyone wanting to get noticed] Speed Writing [book by Ryan Healy] What the Plus [book by Guy Kawasaki] God’s Favorite Place on Earth [book by Frank Viola] Turning Pro [book by Steven Pressfield] The Business of Belief [book by Tom Asacker]

Be honest. If you're like us you probably have thousands of photos, digital or print photos that are totally disorganized! You have the best intentions, but you probably have no idea how to organize your photos. Welcome to our world! We were thrilled to have the opportunity to interview Cathi Nelson, Founder and President of the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO) to help answer one of the most asked questions here on Simple Life Together: "How do I organize my photos?" The interview was fantastic! Cathi offered up a wealth of information on how to organize your photos, both your physical and digital photos. We highly, highly recommend listening to the interview!  Before you do, here is little more information about Cathi and some of the questions we asked her on the show: Continue reading... How To Organize Your Photos: An Interview With Cathi Nelson: About Cathi Nelson: Cathi Nelson is the founder and president of the Association of Personal Photo Organizers™ (APPO), and her own photo organizing business, Photo Simplified. Cathi Nelson has been helping people organize their photos for over 17 years. Through Appo, Cathi is now teaching others to do the same. Appo provides support and education for entrepreneurs looking to build a photo organizing business, and educates the public on the need for photo organizing services. Cathi is also member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).  She was a speaker at the 2011 NAPO annual conference and the Independent Photo Imagers Annual Conference, and frequently speaks on photo organizing at libraries, continuing adult education classes, and photo organizing retreats. If you want to know how to organize your photos, you won't find better answers than from Cathi Nelson! Interview Questions: 1. Tell us a little more about who you are and how you make people's lives simpler. 2. What is the biggest challenge you see with folks and organizing their photos? (Lack of routines...taking too many pictures...not letting go or deleting bad ones…unclear idea of how you want to store and enjoy them?) 3. Organizing hard copy photos can be a daunting task.  For those with hundreds or even thousands of physical/hard copy photos, do you have a recommended process of how they can organize them? 4. How do you recommend people categorize their photos?  Chronologically or by person, place, event? 5. What are some ways and products people can use to store their printed photos and negatives? Any special considerations for storing old, fragile, sentimental, or historical photos? 6. With mobile devices, it’s so easy to take hundreds and even thousands of photos before we even think to download them. Do you have any recommended strategies for managing our mobile device photos? 7. I heard you say on one of your tutorials: “Don't let your kids grow up to be JPEGS.” Can you explain what you meant when you said this? 8. Do you have any preferred software to organize digital photos? What about creating photo books? 9. How can one alleviate their fears of losing hard copy or digital photos? 10. What types of habits or routines can people adopt to manage and keep their photos organized and prevent it from becoming a big task in the future? 11. For the do-it-yourselfers or those looking for help, what are some online resources to help people learn about organizing their photos? Additional Photo Organizing Resources and Information: Other popular services: Picasa/Google+ auto backup on iPhone Flickr Snapfish Photobucket Shutterfly There is a great comparison of these services on CNET Main things to consider: Pricing Storage capacity File types File size Bandwidth limits Resolution of pictures Announcements: Michael Hyatts' Platform Conference 3 - 5 November 2013, in Dallas TX at the Omni Dallas Hotel at Park West: We're both attending this top-notch conference to help you build your online presence/platform.

Would you like to know the marketing concept that will attract the most buyers, for the least cost, in the shortest period of time? Today's show is all about something I call “Value Creation Marketing”. Reasons to listen are the fact that “Value Creation Marketing”… Attracts buyers before they're even thinking about buying. Closes a bigger percentage of sales. Fills the pipeline faster. Just makes the most money. So this episode is only for you if you want the least expensive marketing method, that works faster, with less human effort, and yields the best customers Announcements: Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking: SCORRE Conference, October 14-17 Platform Conference, November 3-5 Private Mastermind Group, November Tip Of The Week Many thanks to Ernie Lansford, who forced me to try a Mackie mixer. This week I'm testing the Mackie 1402VLZ4 … and I love it! 5 Reasons I Prefer the Mackie 1402VLZ4 Over My Previous Mixer It's built like a tank. Visual ease-of-use. Pure clean sound. 2 additional channels. 6 XLR inputs. Get your own Mackie 1402VLZ4 by clicking here. Get Cliff Ravenscraft's tutorials on how to set up your studio equipment by clicking here. Spiritual Foundations Jesus took what we deserved so we would get what he deserved. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 1 John 4:17 Feature Segment: What Is “Value Creation Marketing”? Today's show is all about something I call “Value Creation Marketing”… and why you should be using it… “Value-Creation Marketing” is the least expensive marketing, that works faster, with less effort. Click To Tweet Value Creation Marketing: Overcomes resistance Attracts buyers before they are buyers Closes more sales Gets you higher fees Builds a board audience Honors people at all levels Follows the rule of the farm Question that come up: So, how do you do it? What if your business is “different”? If you give away everything for free, how do you make money? If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Question:   How do you make use of “Value Creation Marketing” in your business? Click here to leave your comments.  

You've heard it before. The problem that holds you back is not lack of information. You already know what to do – but you don't do what you know. The question is why you don't do what you know? And that is what I'll be answering in today's episode. Announcements: Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking: SCORRE Conference, October 14-17 Platform Conference, November 3-5 Tip Of The Week Sweetprocess lets you document all those repetitive tasks that eat up your precious time, so you can grow your team and grow your business. Spiritual Foundations Christ-followers get help in changing their behaviour:  “I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” Romans 7:18 “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” Romans 8:1-2 Feature Segment: Why You Don't Do What You Know Why we don't do what we know we should do… and what to do about it… The reason we know what to do but still don't do it: the pain of changing our behavior seems more real than the pain of staying the same. Click To Tweet How to change: Write down what you want to change Write down why you want to change it Write down what will happen if you don't change Write down what will happen if you do change Repeat, reward, and reinforce If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Question:   Why do you do the same thing even when you know you should change? Click here to leave your comments.  

Why do I still invest the time and money to attend seminars, even though many people would think I don't have to? I have at least five good reasons why, and in this episode I will share them with you. Announcements: Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking: SCORRE Conference, October 14-17 Platform Conference, November 3-5 And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Tip Of The Week How to rescue your time… with an app, of course! Spiritual Foundations If you're on a guilt trip, I promise you God was not your travel agent. 3 reasons why:  Grace is bigger than whatever we may feel “convicted” or  “condemned” about. “By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.”1 John 3:19-24 The Bible calls the law the ministry of Death. “Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory.  Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it.” 2 Corinthians 3:7-10 Take a clue from what Paul was persecuted for. “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! “Romans 6:1-2 Feature Segment: 5 Reasons Why I Still Attend Seminars After all these years, I'm still attending seminars and workshops… here are 5 reasons why… To remain a student. To be productively uncomfortable. To connect with clients, customers, and friends. To make JV connections. To buy. Listener Calls This week we heard from: Jeff Brown, Read to Lead Podcast Walter Montero Paul Potter Adam Collier Greg Gilbert   Question:   Why do you attend seminars? Click here to leave your comments.  

For many bloggers, it's the number one topic of discussion: how to get more traffic to your blog.  Having a bigger number of visitors doesn't necessarily mean you have a more profitable business, but let's face it; we all want more traffic. In this episode, I'll explain how  to get more traffic to your blog. Announcements: Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking: NAMS Conference, August 9-11 SCORRE Conference, October 14-17 Platform Conference, November 3-5 And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Tip Of The Week This week I share the value of inconveniently scheduled entertainment. Spiritual Foundations “But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” Luke 5:15-16 The more value you have to offer, the more demand others will place on you. The more value you place on serving, the more tempted you will be to supply what others demand. This seems good, but there is one problem… …you are a limited resource. Which means eventually the supply (you) will be exhausted by the demand (others). At that point, everyone ceases to be served. In order to serve at the highest level, for the longest possible time, you must preserve the resource. What this means: Not everyone who wants “just five minutes” from you can have it. Not everyone who wants to partner with you on a business or a project gets a “yes”. Not everyone who makes a request of you, or a demand on your time/money/energy, gets their request granted. You must preserve the resource (you) and learn to say “no” Most people will not be happy with your boundaries. That’s why most people fail to establish and enforce them. Be different than most people. Because you are a limited resource, and we need you. Feature Segment: How To  Get More Blog Traffic Success as a blogger cannot be measured by subscriber numbers alone. That doesn't mean we don't count the number of subscribers. How do you get more traffic to your blog? Here are seven tips… Write 3 to 5 “Pillar Posts”. Post Consistently And Frequently. Comment On High Traffic Blogs. Write Guest Posts For High-Traffic Blogs. See this post by Jeff Goins about guest posting. Link To Other Blogs in Your Posts. Encourage Commenting on Your Blog. Use Social Media to Promote Your Blog Posts. Question:   What tactics do you use to get more traffic to your blog? Click here to leave your comments.  

It's all the rage: “content marketing”. But if you think just giving away lots of great content for free is going to make you money, you haven't thought the matter through. Chances are you're making one of the three big content marketing mistakes. St. John's Cathedral in Spokane, WA, taken with my iPhone. In this episode, I'll explain how to create content that actually makes sales. Announcements: Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking: NAMS Conference, August 9-11 SCORRE Conference, October 14-17 Platform Conference, November 3-5 And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Tip Of The Week I've been enjoying the challenge of trying to take great photographs using just my iPhone. Turns out this is a very popular hobby. Two great resources, if you're interested in giving it a try, are iPhone Photography and the ProCamera App. I also like 100 Cameras In 1. Spiritual Foundations “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 What we put into our brains makes a difference in our life, and that includes our spirit life. I'm not big on rules, so I'm not going to tell you there are things you should or should not listen to or watch. But I will suggest you might want to be careful what you put inside yourself. Anything that you are going to listen to, or watch, needs to pass through a filter. Here's a good one: is this helpful? Is it healing? Is it hopeful? Is it loving? If the answer to the above questions is “no”, you might want to reconsider whose word you listening to, and what the consequences might be. Feature Segment: How To Create Content That Sells Content really does sell, but if you give away the store, you go broke fast. The key is you must create content that encourages a buying decision. The three big “content marketing” mistakes: Creating mediocre content. Creating content that completely satisfies your customer's needs. Creating content without being intentional. Keys to creating content that sells. Your best material is your best marketing. Create content that is “useful, but incomplete” (thanks Jimmy D Brown). Be strategic about the content you create. Create products that get results, while laying the foundation for new purchases. Question:  What content  marketing strategies have brought you the best results? Click here to leave your comments.  

Over the last few weeks, I've had the opportunity to talk on the phone with a number of consulting clients. I was startled to hear virtually the same phrase come out of each of their mouths: “I need clarity on what I'm supposed to be doing, and help focusing on it.” Why do we feel we lack clarity? And why do we have trouble focusing? Most importantly, how can we get clear and focused? I've got an answer for you in today's episode. Announcements: Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking: JV Alert, July 26-28 NAMS Conference, August 9-11 SCORRE Conference, October 14-17 Platform Conference, November 3-5 Want To Be On Next Week's Show? My topic for next week's show is “Creating Content That Sells”. If you have a question on that topic, you can ask by visiting my voicemail page (just click here to leave a message). This is a great way to promote your own website. First, make sure you have a great question, and then start off by saying your name and your website. If your question is used on the show, we will even include a link back to your site in the show notes. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please contact me. Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679 or click here to leave a message on my Voicemail Page And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Tip Of The Week GoodReader for iPad allows you to markup PDF documents using a stylus. This is great for editing, proofreading, and notetaking. Lifestyle Business Segment Featuring Stu McLaren of Wishlist Products and Rhino Support. This week:  creating more meaning in your work. Spiritual Foundations “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 Have you ever made a big mistake, and been filled with regret? Recently I made a major decision without consulting my wife. I gave the appearance of consulting her, by writing a highly persuasive, highly logical justification of my decision and presenting it to her and asking, in essence, “you agree with me don't you?” In other words, I blindsided and bulldozed her. How she supposed to respond? I hurt her feelings. The decision may have been right, that the way I presented it was all wrong. I felt like a creep. How could I do that to the person I loved most in the world? Pause… that feeling that I experienced, right there, is called condemnation. It's the feeling that we need to be punished for something we have done. My example is just one from real-life. You could substitute your own. Maybe you have had an angry thought, shaded the truth, cut the corners on the business deal, delivered less than your best, spoken words in anger, had a lustful or greedy thought, been inpatient or intolerant of a family member… I'm sure you can come up with your own examples. The Bible calls these things sin (which means to “fall short of the target”), and left on our own, our sin condemns us. But, as those who follow Christ, our sins have been forgiven. Past, present, and future. Condemnation is a tool of Satan uses against us to disempower us. If he can get us thinking, “what kind of Christian are you anyway? If people knew what you are really like, they would be shocked…” Then he can get us to become isolated from others, and ineffective in our calling and our mission. There is now no condemnation… it's in the present tense. The next time you feel tempted to do something you know is wrong, repeat this verse out loud. Use it as a “fighter verse”. It's the Word of God, and the Bible tells us that even the Angels “heed the voice of His word”. That His word “will not return to Him void” (in other words, it will not be ineffective). And if you realize after the fact that you've done something wrong, remind yourself of the same thing… there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  As Pastor Joseph Prince writes: The power of Jesus to overcome every temptation kicks in when you remain conscious that even at the point of temptation, Jesus is still with you and that you are righteous in Him apart from your works (Romans 4:6)! When you do that, you reject the condemnation for the temptation that you are facing. You are now able to rest in your righteous identity in Christ apart from your works, and release the power of Christ in you to rise above the temptation. Feature Segment: How To Get Clarity And Focus Know your reason WHY. Think through WHAT outcome you want. Plan HOW to achieve the outcome. Have SMARTER goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound, Evaluate, Re-Evaluate… November 1981 issue of Management Review by George T. Doran.) Build systems that run without you. Create margin. Sharpen the saw. Resources Mentioned In This Episode Michael Hyatt's free ebook, Creating Your Personal Lifeplan Work the System by Sam Carpenter Margin by Richard Swensen 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen R. Covey Question: How do you get clarity and focus? Click here to leave your comments.  

When I am interviewed, one question that comes up regularly is: “Ray, if you are starting your business today how would you do it?”  I think the implication is things are different today than when I started, and thus a different approach is required. But is that true? In this week's episode I'll answer the question, how would I start over today? Announcements: Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking: JV Alert, July 26-28 NAMS Conference, August 9-11 SCORRE Conference, October 14-17 Platform Conference, November 3-5 Want To Be On Next Week's Show? My topic for next week's show is “How To Get Clarity And Focus”. If you have a question on that topic, you can ask by visiting my voicemail page (just click here to leave a message). This is a great way to promote your own website. First, make sure you have a great question, and then start off by saying your name and your website. If your question is used on the show, we will even include a link back to your site in the show notes. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please contact me. Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679 or click here to leave a message on my Voicemail Page And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Tip Of The Week Changing things up a bit, this week's Tip of the week is actually a hat tip to three of my favorite podcasts. This Is Your Life by Michael Hyatt Podcast Answer Man by Cliff Ravenscraft 48 Days by Dan Miller Lifestyle Business Segment Featuring Stu McLaren of Wishlist Products and Rhino Support. this week: the value of taking risks. Spiritual Foundations “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 Who are you, and why are you here? These are big questions, but the answers are vital to building a sustainable business on a firm foundation. You are a child of God. You are here to establish his will “on earth, as it is in heaven.” Once you are in submission  to the great commission, you can understand your mission. Feature Segment: How I Would Start Over Today Discover my own unique ability. Find the intersection of my unique ability, the desires of my marketplace, and what they're willing to pay for. Build a platform and a listening station. Create a unique solution for an identifiable group of people with money. Build a marketing system to bring that offer to my people. Question: how would you start over today? What questions do you have about starting up for the first time? Click here to leave your comments.  

Just yesterday I was on the phone with a client. She had just finished describing her business to me. She wants to sell a product that teaches women how to help their husbands break an addiction to pornography. “I guess what I'm wondering,” she said, “is this a ministry or business? Is there really a way to make money doing this?” In other words, she was asking if it's possible to monetize her particular message. This is a common question. Almost everybody wonders about it at some point, and almost everybody thinks their businesses “different”. If you're listening to the show, I believe it is definitely possible for you to monetize your message. To do well while doing good. And today I will tell you exactly what you need to do for that to happen. Announcements: JV Alert, July 26-28 NAMS Conference, August 9-11 SCORRE Conference, October 14-17 Platform Conference, November 3-5 Tip Of The Week This weeks tip explains how I use the Kindle reader app on my iPad, plus Evernote, to do research for my books and articles. Spiritual Foundations This weekend like to share something written by Kris Vallotton.  It's about the importance of setting boundaries. This is a crucial skill needed by anyone in this business of ours. “It's really important to set boundaries with people. If you don't learn to set boundaries in your life, other people will superimpose their priorities and values on you. The people who hate the fact that you're setting boundaries are the very ones who need them the most! Some people view boundaries as unloving or harsh. They think that you should run to every emergency, let people violate your values, and never say no to anyone or else you are not being loving. Jesus loved people and yet he had no problem confronting them. Personally, I'm tired of marshmallow Believers. Doormat Don and Molly meek need to get some courage and leave the powerless, victim camp of spineless Christianity.” “It's funny, when I share things like this on my Facebook page people think I'm venting or I'm in a bad mood. I don't need to be in a bad mood to set boundaries, I've had to learn to live with them or die without them. No public figure could survive very long without setting boundaries. For example, it's common for people to talk to me while I'm in a bathroom stall or even slide a book under the stall for me to autograph. Often people will follow me out to my car after a 12 hour day of ministry to take a picture with me. All these people mean well, and it is really nice to be loved. But it takes a toll on you and soon you find yourself exhausted; not wanting to be around people. So you finally learn to set boundaries and risk being misunderstood. But it's better to be misunderstood and fruitful, than to be burnout, broke down, and useless.” I urge you to take some time this week to think about what your boundaries are, and perhaps identify places in your life where a lack of boundaries is depleting your personal  resources.  You can't help anyone else if you're in the process of drowning. Feature Segment: How To Monetize Your Message How can you monetize any message? It's actually fairly simple. First, in order to monetize your message, you must become the message your mission deserves. Second, there are four strategic components to the monetization process: Big Mission Big Idea Big Invitation Big Offer Third, in the Big Offer phase of your monetization plan, there are four subcomponents that must be present: Community Copy Content Call to Action Want To Be On Next Week's Show? My topic for next week's show is “How Would Ray Start Today?”. If you have a question on that topic, you can ask by visiting my voicemail page (just click here to leave a message). This is a great way to promote your own website. First, make sure you have a great question, and then start off by saying your name and your website. If your question is used on the show, will even include a link back to your site in the show notes. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please contact me. Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679 or click here to leave a message on my Voicemail Page And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.  

One of the most common questions I get is this: “Ray, how do you create your podcast each week?” In this week's episode, I'll give the most complete answer ever. And I'll walk you through my workflow for creating this podcast. The official “studio” of the Ray Edwards Show.   Announcements: JV Alert, July 26-28 NAMS Conference, August 9-11 SCORRE Conference, October 14-17 Platform Conference, November 3-5 Tip Of The Week The Eagle Creek Tarmac 22 is my new carry-on, along with Eagle Creek Pack It Cubes. Allows me to travel with just one bag for a 3-day conference. Thanks to Chris Brogan and Michael Hyatt for the tip. Packing Pro. This app is my new method of choice for a packing checklist. Spiritual Foundations Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 A few nights ago, I had serious trouble sleeping. I lay awake staring at the ceiling, reviewing the many responsibilities and tasks that lay before me the next day. Although I was weary, I could not rest. Finally, I spoke aloud to Jesus, and gave him my list of things I was worried about. He took my list, and I fell asleep. Sometimes we just need to take the promises of the Bible at face value. We don't need to understand the Greek, or have an exegetical analysis performed by a trained theologian. If you know Jesus, he has promised to give you rest. Whatever you're dealing with, whether it's financial, emotional, physical, or anything else, he sees you. He's already promised to give you rest. To take over your heavy burden. You can just ask. He will give you peace. Feature Segment: How I Create My Podcast First things first. Just about everything I learned about podcasting, I learned from Cliff Ravenscraft. He is the Podcast Answer Man. I will share how I create my podcast, but for the detailed tutorials and instruction you need on the subject, I recommend Cliff's material without reservation. Ray's  Podcast Gear Mixer: Behringer Xenix X1222 USB Microphone: Heil PR40 Digital audio recorder: Zoom Handy Recorder H2 Digital hybrid: JK Audio Innkeeper 1X Audio processor: Multicom Pro-XL MDX4600 Headphones: Audio Technica ATH – M30 Magic bullet: iMic USB audio interface Website platform: WordPress Podcasting plug-in: Blubrry Powerpress Software: Adobe Audition, Creative Cloud; ID3 Editor; SoundByte Media server: Libsyn Computer: MacBook Air, 13 inch, 500 GB SSD Odds and ends: many different cables, Brother labeler for cables, great degree of patience, Cliff Ravenscraft podcast training to remove need for patience Ray's Podcast Workflow Decide on topic Fill in SCORRE template Fill-in podcast Show Prep template Assemble audio clips Records show “live” to digital audio recorder Transfer show from SD card to MacBook Air Process audio using Adobe audition Export audio of show to MP3 format Use ID3 tag software to tag MP3 file Upload MP3 file to Libsyn Add media link to post Preview post and double check all links, copy, and the audio file Schedule show for publication Want To Be On Next Week's Show? My topic for next week's show is “Monetizing Your Message”. If you have a question on that topic, you can ask by visiting my voicemail page (just click here to leave a message). This is a great way to promote your own website. First, make sure you have a great question, and then start off by saying your name and your website. If your question is used on the show, will even include a link back to your site in the show notes. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please contact me. Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679 or click here to leave a message on my Voicemail Page And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.  

This week I'm going to pull back the curtain and share what I believe have been my seven against business mistakes, and what you can learn from them.   Announcements: JV Alert, July 26-28 NAMS Conference, August 9-11 SCORRE Conference, October 14-17 Platform Conference, November 3-5 Tip Of The Week Apple Voice Memos is a fantastic recording studio in your pocket. Spiritual Foundations But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. Hebrews 8:6 Sometimes when trials come our way, we think God is giving us a test. Or that he is “shaping our character”. I have heard people say things like, “It wasn't until I got cancer that my family came together. So I know that was God's plan for my life.” Often, people in these situations will cite the book of Job as support for this position. Let me be clear: God is not the author of evil. And cancer is evil. Many will point to the book of Job, or other places in the Old Testament, and say, “See, this is where God was judging a person… sending a spirit of sickness on a person… causing evil things to happen to a person or nation.” And then they will quote Scripture to say that God is “the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.” Such thinking misses the point. Yes, God is the same. But his covenant has changed. God has always been merciful. He has always been good. He has always been the healer, the restorer, the protector. The old covenant was given because God's people demanded it. It is not what he wanted for the, but they stood their ground in the desert and demanded that Moses go up and bring them back the law. The book of Job is a book of bad theology, presented as bad theology. Job's friends, the ones who sat around and speculated about why God sent tragedy Job's way (as punishment for sin, to shape his character, etc.) got it wrong. God himself said so in the book. Jesus, Scripture tells us, is the perfect mirror representation of the Father. Anything that you think about the Father, but which contradicts what you see demonstrated in the life of Jesus, is simply wrong. Jesus healed every person who came to him. He was merciful. He was joyful. And he never once imparted cancer, poverty, divorce, tragedy, or accidents to anyone in order to teach them a lesson. Does God make all things work together for good? Yes. Can he use any situation in our lives as an opportunity for us to learn and grow? Yes. And keep in mind that he clearly promises us, among other things, divine health, divine wealth, peace… In fact he promises us that we will “prosper in all things, even as your soul prospers.” Feature Segment: My Biggest Business Mistakes Many business coaches and mentors are happy to tell you about their successes. Most are not so quick to share stories of their failures, because they worry that this will diminish their positioning in your eyes. The problem is: it's from failure that we may learn some of our most valuable lessons. Today, I'm going to share what I consider to be seven of my biggest business mistakes, what I learned from them, and what I feel you can take away from them as well.    Ray's Seven Biggest Business Mistakes Not starting soon enough. How I hesitated to strike out on my own. Going into debt. The borrower is slave to the lender. Accepting clients I knew were a bad fit. The “Client Who Ate My Calendar” story Failing to establish clear boundaries. “No, I can't take your call at 11pm on Saturday/” Moving too slowly. Ideas lose fire as the clock ticks. Failure to focus. Dispersing your forces weakens your impact. Lacking simultaneous execution. Just so I can contradict #6… Want To Be On Next Week's Show? My topic for next week's show is “How I Create My Podcast”. If you have a question on that topic, you can ask by visiting my voicemail page (just click here to leave a message). This is a great way to promote your own website. First, make sure you have a great question, and then start off by saying your name and your website. If your question is used on the show, will even include a link back to your site in the show notes. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please contact me. Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679 or click here to leave a message on my Voicemail Page And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.  

What if you could run a company with no office, no staff, no inventory and no overhead? You can, and that is what this week's show is about.   Announcements: Wisdom Thesis Workshop coming up, June 25-28 JV Alert, July 26-28 NAMS Conference, August 9-11 SCORRE Conference, October 14-17 Platform Conference, November 3-5 Tip Of The Week NextIssue.com features a nap that allows you to read all your favorite magazines on your iPad for just $14.99 a month. Genius Scan turns your iPhone into a pocket scanner. It enables you to quickly scan documents on the go and email the scans as JPEG or PDF. Spiritual Foundations And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. John 1:16 If you are in a place where you feel the demands made on you are too much, I've got good news. You can stop working so hard, and watch God step in and supply everything you need. I frequently feel the demands of life. There are many expectations from clients, readers, listeners, and that's just on the business side of my life. If I let myself get caught up in thinking about the demands placed on me, it can feel like a heavy load. It's in these times that I turn to Jesus and simply tell him, “this is now your problem.” I know that sounds crass. But hear me out. Recently, I returned from about three weeks of continuous air travel, conference speaking, and intense activity. The day after I got back home, I was scheduled to meet with a small group of entrepreneurs that I mentor in our church. As I drove to the meeting, really unprepared, I said to the Lord, “God, I can't do this. I have nothing for them. I surrender this to you, and I can't wait to see how you're going to handle it.” As always, God showed up. He gave me just the right words to say, and more importantly he gave me just the right heart to hear what was on the minds of the people at the meeting. We had deeply rewarding time together. I was just as much nourished and refreshed as anyone else at the meeting. That's the kind of thing that happens when you set down the burden and leave it up to the Lord to carry it. When we are able to receive the abundance of God's grace, to give up on all of the work were trying to do, and simply rest in God's favor… The weight of demand is lifted from our shoulders and we are carried on the river of God's unlimited supply. Feature Segment: How to Run a Virtual Company Today, it is  stopno longer necessary to make a huge capital investment to run a company. There are many startups and even established businesses that generate millions of dollars in revenue each year-without having a building, employees, or even inventory. How do you run such a “virtual company”? And if the idea intrigues you, how do you transition from being a traditional business to “going virtual”?   The Virtual Company 10 Point Plan Run an “8020 analysis” on your business Get rid of the building Eliminate your employees Build a business system Own nothing, control everything Use proven tools: base camp, Google apps, GoToMeeting, Skype,  etc. Use off-the-shelf software solutions Realize you are an information marketing business Focus on direct response marketing only Commit to becoming a business owner and not just an operator.  “Great business owners get rich. Great business operators just get tired.” Keith Cunningham Want To Be On Next Week's Show? My topic for next week's show is “My Biggest Business Mistakes and What You Can Learn From Them”. If you have a question on that topic, you can ask by visiting my voicemail page (just click here to leave a message). This is a great way to promote your own website. First, make sure you have a great question, and then start off by saying your name and your website. If your question is used on the show, will even include a link back to your site in the show notes. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please contact me. Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679 or click here to leave a message on my Voicemail Page And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.  

What if you could reduce the hours you spend working by 50%, and yet still be three times as productive? What if you could do that starting tomorrow? You can. And that's what today show is all about-how to triple your productivity tomorrow.   Announcements: Wisdom Thesis Workshop coming up, June 25-28 NAMS Conference, August 9-11 Platform Conference, November 3-5 Tip Of The Week Adobe Creative Cloud. Once upon a time, owning just Photoshop was a $500 investment. Now you can get every Adobe makes for about $50. Maybe less. Spiritual Foundations Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs 13:20 (ESV) For a couple of years I worked in the insurance business. I was very young, and I was the newest agent in the office. Al, the seasoned gray-headed veteran of the business, decided to take me under his wing. “You'll get a lot of raw raw from management,” Al told me one day, “but I can show you how things really work around here. And you can make a lot of money.” Pretty soon, I had begun to hang around Al and his buddies more often than not, and had begun to adapt their attitude. Cynical, jaded, laced with lots of sarcastic comments. One day my manager, Frank, took me to lunch. As we were eating, he casually remarked, “I'm not sure hanging out without is in your best interest.” “But he's just trying to help me,” I said. I was a bit naïve in those days. “And after all, he's got 30 years of experience with this company.” Frank chuckled. “No, Ray,” he said. “He's got one year of experience, and he's repeated it 30 times.” Frank's comment had a real impact on me, because I instantly knew he was telling the truth. The next day, I decided to have my morning coffee with one of the younger agents in the office named Richard. Richard had been with the company only five years, but he was the top salesman in the office. Al's group of buddies regarded Richard with disdain, and now I knew why. Who we hang out with, and whose wisdom we listen to, determines the kind of person we will become. Feature Segment: Triple Your Productivity Tomorrow Have you ever noticed that when you're going on vacation, the week before you leave is incredibly productive? Somehow you managed to get a couple of weeks ahead on your work, a couple of weeks ahead on all of your bill paying and chores around the house, you get your itinerary planned for the two week shall be on vacation, plus you get all the packing in preparation for the trip finished. How do you do that? If you could harness that “magic”, you'd probably be three times as productive as you normally are. The good news is, I believe any of us can do exactly that. And on this show, I'm giving you a blueprint for how to wake up three times as productive tomorrow morning. Let's get started.   The 3X Productivity Blueprintt Do a mind sweep Identify tomorrow's “must do's” Put those on your task list, in order of priority Store your mind sweep safely Review tomorrow's appointments Plan the time required to accomplish “must do's” Go to bed early; get up early First thing tomorrow, drink 16 ounces of water Take time to connect with your creator, and your purpose Exercise for 30 minutes Arrive at work one hour earlier than normal Focus on live number one from your list Continue until complete; moved to next item Short circuit interruptions today Take a break, moved to the rest of your list Deal with backlog Have your “got a minutes” Get to inbox zero Deal with loose ends Delegate everything left over Make tomorrow's task list, plan tomorrow's schedule Simply repeat this procedure every day from now on. Want To Be On Next Week's Show? My topic for next week's show is “How to Run a Virtual Company”. If you have a question on that topic, you can ask by visiting my voicemail page (just click here to leave a message). This is a great way to promote your own website. First, make sure you have a great question, and then start off by saying your name and your website. If your question is used on the show, will even include a link back to your site in the show notes. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please contact me. Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679 or click here to leave a message on my Voicemail Page And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.  

Imagine starting and running a business that has no office, no employees, no inventory, no overhead, and potential revenue in the millions of dollars. Every day you work from wherever you want-maybe one day from your house, maybe the next day from Starbucks, maybe the next day from the deck of a cruise ship.  Sound like a cheesy Internet ad? Maybe. But it's also reality for a lot of people I know. And it can be reality for you. That's what today show is all about-how to be a “minimalist entrepreneur”.  The idea for this week show sprang from a series of blog posts written by my friend Ryan Lee. If you haven't read those posts, I highly recommend them. Announcements: Wisdom Thesis Workshop coming up, June 25-28 NAMS Conference, August 9-11 Platform Conference, November 3-5 Tip Of The Week BaseCamp Mobile App for IOS. While there have been many attempts to create a mobile app that allows you to access your Basecamp account, this is the official 37 signals app. And it works flawlessly, just as you would expect. Spiritual Foundations Put it in writing, because it is not yet time for it to come true. But the time is coming quickly, and what I show you will come true. It may seem slow in coming, but wait for it; it will certainly take place, and it will not be delayed. Habakkuk 2:3 (GNB) Does it ever seem that God  is answering your prayer by saying “no”? Let's assume that what you're asking for in prayer is consistent with God's will, as it is revealed in the Bible. And let's assume that you even feel, for one reason or another, that you have heard from God in this area and that you felt his answer was yes. Yet the thing you're praying for doesn't seem to come through. Just remember what Robert Schuller said: “God's delays are not God's denials.” Sometimes God answers our prayer for an oak tree by delivering us just exactly that. An oak tree. That's called a miracle. Other times, he delivers us an acorn, and we have to cultivate it and care for it as it grows. And while you are waiting for the fulfillment of your prayer, you might ask God who he wants to be to you, in that interval. “Don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed.” (James 1:4, Msg)   Feature Segment: The Minimalist Entrepreneur Matthew is a friendly, unassuming, and very likable guy. But he doesn't have a job. He started his own business a couple of years ago, has no employees, has no inventory or storefront, and runs that business from his laptop. He sometimes works from Starbucks, sometimes from home, in sometimes uses a tiny office he rented a few months ago. In that office it's just him, and the bare minimum of furniture required, and a lot of quiet. And in that quiet, Matthew rakes in an average of $150,000… Per month. Now Matthew is a real person, a friend of mine, and I've changed his name just to protect his privacy. He is a minimalist entrepreneur. I too am a minimalist entrepreneur. In the old days, before the Internet, starting a company that brings in the kind of revenue our company does what it meant a huge capital investment. Perhaps a dozen employees. A lot of overhead, and a great deal of risk. But today, because of the leverage offered by the Internet, I have a global business that I operate mostly from my laptop. And while there are a dozen or so people who make my company run, all but one of them are virtual workers, scattered all over the globe. You, too, can operate a minimalist enterprise. In this episode, how explain the advantages of doing this, and provide a basic outline of how to pull it off.  Advantages Of The Minimalist Entrepreneur Zero startup cost Close to zero operational cost Peace of mind Low stress Big payoff  The Minimalist Entrepreneur Blueprint  Strategy over tactics. No facility. No employees. No inventory. Minimal fixed expense. Virtualize the enterprise. Systemize the enterprise. Globalize the enterprise. Fight feature creep. Define culture. Don't lose money. Want To Be On Next Week's Show? My topic for next week's show is “How to Triple Your Productivity Tomorrow”. If you have a question on that topic, you can ask by visiting my voicemail page (just click here to leave a message). This is a great way to promote your own website. First, make sure you have a great question, and then start off by saying your name and your website. If your question is used on the show, will even include a link back to your site in the show notes. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please contact me. Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679 or click here to leave a message on my Voicemail Page And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.  

More and more, I find my iPad replacing other tools – like my computer, Kindle, and even my physical notebook.     In this week's podcast episode: How to make money by goofing off. The secret of becoming a better, more successful person – on automatic pilot. And my recommended Top 10 iPad Apps For Idea Entrepreneurs. Special Announcements My  conference, the 3-Day Live Intensive, is April 5-7 in Phoenix. Get your early-bird ticket discount right now – click here. Be sure you refer to my notes from the Platform Conference – one of the most value laden conferences I have ever attended. We have a contest running in celebration of the upcoming 52nd episode of this podcast. Just make helpful, substantive comments on 10 posts (here on the blog), and you could win a free copy of my new book. More details here. Would you like to have me speak at your event? Click here to visit my speaking page and get details on my availability. Tip Of The Week How to make money by goofing off? I must be joking, right? Not at all. It's proven that our best ideas, most resourceful states, and highest periods of creativity come when we are relaxed and in “the flow”. The problem is we seldom experience this state as a conscious intention. Here's how to “goof off” productively. Spiritual Foundations The secret of becoming a better, more successful person – on automatic pilot. While I was at a conference a few weeks ago, the topic being taught was “speed to implementation”. Surrounded by a group of born achiever types, I felt swept up in the momentum of getting things done quickly. I went to my hotel room that night and furiously worked on completing a book manuscript, and by the time morning arrived my initial draft was done. Why was it that I was suddenly able, or motivated, to get the book done so quickly? Did I suddenly have abilities that I didn't have before? No. I was being carried by the momentum of the people around me. Motivated, cajoled, provoked. I was, in short, persuaded by the power of peer pressure. The people we surround ourselves with influence who we become. The point I'm trying to make is not a new one. It is simply that we tend to adopt the mannerisms, behaviors, and values of the people we spend the most time with. Want to become a better person? Be more successful? Be more punctual? Spend time with people who are more successful, more punctual, and who are in general the kind of “better person” you would like to be. “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn The interesting thing is, most of us do not consciously choose who those people are. What does the Bible say about this idea? Well we don't have to look far-in the book of wisdom known as The Proverbs, we find this… The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray. Proverbs 12:26 What if you consciously engineered being around five people who lift you up, instead of being around five people who pull you down? Feature Segment: Top 10 iPad Apps For Idea Entrepreneurs This past Sunday in church, I did the unthinkable. During the pastor's sermon, I opened up my iPad and began doodling. Heads turned. Questioning looks appeared on the faces of the people around me. Some people try to pretend they didn't notice. My wife simply nudged our friends Jim and Diane, who were sitting next to us, and shrugged. As if to say, “Well, that's our Ray.” But I wasn't ignoring the sermon or even being rude. I was taking notes in one of the top 10 apps that I use on a daily basis. My iPad has become such an indispensable tool that I even use it in church. Certainly, in my business as what I refer to as an “idea entrepreneur”, my iPad is central to my workflow. So this weeks podcast feature segment is all about the top 10 iPad apps I use in my business, and that I recommend to other idea entrepreneurs. I won't just give you a list of the apps, however. I'll also provide you with a description of how I use them, and even a few tips that may be helpful if you choose to use them as well. Omnifocus. This is my go to app for implementing GTD. It's expensive, but I still haven't found anything else I like better. And I've tried them all. Mail. This is simply the native app that comes with iOS. I've tried a few alternatives, but I really like the way Apple has implemented this app. Notifications turned off. Agenda. I find Apple's Calendar app disappointing, and learned about Agenda through Leo Laporte. I've been using it ever since, and I love it. Integrates with Google Calendar seamlessly. Mr. Reader. I track about 300 websites, mostly WordPress blogs. It's how I find new and interesting ideas, trends, and tidbits that I can share.This only takes me about 30 minutes a day, and that is all due to Mr. Reader. This app aggregates all those websites into one convenient place. Pocket. When I find something online that I want to save for later reference, I put it in Pocket. I may save notes or clippings for a blog post, a book chapter, or simply for my own reading pleasure. Evernote. Evernote is my universal filing cabinet, where I keep blog posts in progress, book outlines, swipe files, reference material, and more.It all synchronizes between my MacBook Pro, iPad, iPhone. So all my stuff is available to meet anywhere, anytime. Indispensable tool. Penultimate. This is the app that left my moleskin notebook lonely and unused. It's a notetaking app, and it integrates with Evernote. Lose the paper, keep the handwriting, and remember everything. Kindle. I don't use my actual kindle device very much anymore. I carry around enough devices, and I use the Kindle app on my iPad to do most of my reading. I am considering trading my full-size iPad in for an  iPad Mini. Reason: the mini seems easier to hold for long periods of time when reading. It also takes up less room in a briefcase. Or a pocket. Downcast. I listen to a lot of podcasts, and this is the app I use to do it. I wish it had a happier name. But I couldn't be happier with the app itself. MindMeister. I mind map just about every piece of content I write, every project plan, and… well, everything.I went through most every mind-mapping app available, and there are some good ones. I finally settled on MindMeister.I like the ability to share maps, I like the  look and feel, and it exports to just about every other mind-map software format. So I can share my maps between MindMeister and MindManager (the app I use on my MacBook Pro). Bonus Apps: Olive Tree Bible Study App, Pages, Keynote. Listener Questions On this episode we heard from these listeners: Carey Green of ChristianHomeandFamily.com asked,”Are tags important to getting search engine traffic?” Beau Miles asked, “Will you be offering an audio version of your new book?” John Olson called in with a report on how he has been using my productivity tips from the podcast episode on getting a days work done in two hours, which was episode 43. I haven't been emphasizing the call in part of the show, but would love to field more listener questions and hear more of your success stories. You can leave messages here through Speakpipe, or on our phone line at (509) 713-2679. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please send me an email. And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. What are some of your indispensable iPad apps, and how do you use them? Share your ideas and observations below in the comments.  

An Interview With President George W. Bush Before you click the play button above to listen to this interview, check out the video that I recorded in the Green Room at the Platform Conference. Meet John C Morgan! Okay, so person I'm speaking to in the video above, and in the interview found in […] The post 296 President George W Bush Interview And My First Singing Gig! appeared first on The Cliff Ravenscraft Show.

If you'd like to know the easiest way to sell anything to anyone, you're going to love this weeks podcast. In this week's podcast episode: How your iPhone can help you achieve your goals. How to let your weaknesses, limitations, and problems propel you to greater success. And, Finally, the easiest way to sell anything to anyone. Tip Of The Week This is the modern equivalent of “accountability partners”. The Lift App is a simple way to achieve any goal, track your progress, and get the support of your friends. Currently available only for iPhone, Android and Wieb versions are on the way soon. Spiritual Foundations Don't worry about weakness… What if there was a different way of understanding Paul's story about his “thorn”, and a different way of understanding the phrase “my grace is sufficient”? Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.   Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10   Feature Segment: The Easiest Way To Sell Anything Understand the Scale of Awareness and “O.P.E.N. the Sale” In the movie “Jerry Maguire” Tom Cruise's character makes an impassioned speech to the girl he loves, trying to convince her how much he cares for her. She finally tells him, “You had me at hello…” Often, we do the same when trying to persuade or sell. Unaware of the feelings of our prospects or listeners, we prattle on far beyond the point that we need to. We say things that are irrelevant to the listener. Understanding “where they are” would spare us all that effort. The late, great copywriter Eugene Schwartz understood the power of the awareness level of your prospect. Knowing where they stand already is vital to knowing what to say to them. The fastest, easiest way to influence anyone is with what is already influencing them. Here is the scale of awareness that I use in writing copy to help me know how to talk to my reader: O – Oblivious P – Pondering E – Engaged N – Needing This powerful secret is easy to underestimate. Just try using it in your sales communications, and watch your persuasion power grow! Special Announcements My own conference, the 3-Day Live Intensive, is April 5-7 in Phoenix. Get your early-bird ticket discount right now – click here. I’m attending the Platform Conference in Nashville. Would you like to have me speak at your event? Click here to visit my speaking page and get details on my availability. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please send me an email. And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679 What are some ways you have seen the “awareness scale” in action? Share your ideas and observations below in the comments.  

When you attend a conference, you make an enormous investment in time, money, and energy. In this week'ss podcast, I give you a precise system for getting the most out of any conference. In this week's podcast episode: A powerful video editing studio for your iPad. Why you were born for this entrepreneurial life. And, of course, how to get the most out of any conference. Tip Of The Week The Pinnacle Studio App for iPad is a remarkable video studio that cost less than $13. Some people complain about the cost of this app. These are people that have forgotten that the iPad and the app they hold in their hands gives them editing power that would've cost tens of thousands of dollars only a few years ago. It's truly remarkable what we have available to us for less then a lunch at McDonald's. Spiritual Foundations Seek Wisdom Seeking wisdom and knowledge is practical. In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. 9 O Lord God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.” 2 Chronicles 1:7-12 That was under the Old Covenant – and the Bible tells us we live under a “new and better covenant” (Hebrews 8:6). What is our promise under the New Covenant? Let's check what Jesus says:  “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:25-34 And don't start thinking you have to earn the Kingdom and Righteousness through your own efforts. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21   Feature Segment: How to Get The Most Out of Any Conference Before the Conference Preparation Is Key: This checklist will serve as a reminder of what you can do before attending a conference to increase the results you get from attending. You may want to customize, modify, or add to the checklist to make it more suitable to your needs. Know your purpose for attending this conference (learning, people to meet, get clients, meet JV Partners, etc.) Know your criteria for success (number of contacts to make, speakers to meet, deals to close, etc.). Have a list of goals you have for attending this conference; this way, when you leave you’ll know if you achieved success or not. Business cards, printed both sides, with an offer on the back that gets people back in contact with you and into your “marketing funnel”. Prepare your “elevator speech”. Study the background of the speakers; do your homework. Book your hotel room early; get a room “close to the action”. Book your airline ticket early for the best rate and most flexibility. When possible, set up meetings in advance. Arrive one day before the conference starts; leave the day after it ends. Digital camera, video camera, and audio recorder Computer Note cards and envelopes, pre-stamped with return addresses already on them (ready to fill in and mail from hotel before you leave). Notebook (Ray recommends Moleskine notebooks). Pens. Jacket (conference rooms are often kept cold!) Target list of people you want to meet. Target list of subjects you want to learn about from each speaker. A list of questions you want answered before you leave. During the Conference You’re Working! While you’re at a conference, you’re at work – this is not a weekend vacation. Make every moment as profitable as possible. Get checked in, put your “stuff” away, and set up your “temporary office”. Keep your room neat and organized in case you have a business meeting there. Meet and greet people in the bar the night before the conference starts. Never eat alone, and don’t eat with the same person twice. Get your picture taken with people (speakers and “regular people” too). Introduce people to one another; make connections between people. Arrive at the registration desk/conference room early each day. Meet and greet people. Use your “elevator speech” or “audio logo” to start conversations. Network between sessions; plan meetings between sessions. Eat small, light meals frequently to keep your energy level consistent. Keep breath fresh. Stinky breath does NOT win friends. Dress comfortably in business casual attire; wear comfortable shoes. Don’t carry too much “stuff” with you into the conference room. Do carry your business cards at all times, and your calendar (book, smartphone, etc.) Turn OFF your cell phone ringer; don’t take or make calls in the conference meeting room (!). Close doors quietly when leaving or entering the room during a session. Attend all networking events; get your photo taken with everyone. Take photos of other people together – send them a copy (get their contact info!). If appropriate, get audio or video testimonials from your clients. Give testimonials whenever you can; it’s good promotion for you. Start early, and keep going late; schedule a nap so you can do the late-night networking. After the Conference The Golden Mile! This is where most people really fall down – the “last mile”, or as we like to call it, “the Golden Mile”. It’s all about the follow-up and the follow-through. Organize all your notes, to-dos, and business cards. Write notes to all your key contacts on the note cards you brought; mail them from the hotel before you leave. Share a ride to the airport if possible; make it a networking opportunity. Use the time in the airport lounge or on the plane to write emails, follow-up notes, and make to-do lists. Send quick follow-up emails to everyone on the list you built at the conference. Upload digital photos of you with other people to a photo service; send a copy to them using a service like http://sendoutcards.com Post photos to your Facebook and Google+ account. Put to-dos into your planning system (Outlook, iPhone, GTD, etc.). Plug them in over the next 3 weeks so nothing falls through the cracks. When home, unpack and organize all your materials immediately.?Call every person you met at the conference. Calling on the phone sets you apart. Quickly fulfill any promises you made. Go through your notes from the conference (all neatly collected in your Moleskine notebook or other “idea capture device”, right?). Anything that can be done in 2 minutes or less (domain registration, emails, downloads, etc.) — just DO it. Anything that will take longer, SCHEDULE it in your planning system. Review your goals and criteria for success from the conference; evaluate how you did. Update these checklists with items you thought of that should be on them; constantly be refining your checklists and systems. Schedule the consumption of any Continuing Education products you purchased at the conference, so that you actually USE them. Special Announcements My own conference, the 3-Day Live Intensive, is April 5-7 in Phoenix. Get your early-bird ticket discount right now – click here. I’m attending the Platform Conference in Nashville. It is probably sold out.  Get a ticket while you can! Would you like to have me speak at your event? Click here to visit my speaking page and get details on my availability. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please send me an email. And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679 Do you have any tips you would add? Share your ideas and tactics below in the comments.  

Just like anything worth doing, there is a way to market that just works. There are rules. Today's podcast shows you what they are. In this week's podcast episode: The disciplines of marketing. The “Secret Weapon” system for using GTD with Evernote. Are you trying too hard? Tip Of The Week The “Secret Weapon” system for using GTD with Evernote. Spiritual Foundations Let God Do the Work We often try to do ourselves what God has already done for us. …for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13 Stop trying to do it on your own, and let God do what He wants! Feature Segment: Ray Edwards's 13 Natural Disciplines of Effective Online Marketing Almost all marketing is dreadfully weak and ineffective, unfocused, and irrelevant. Or it's hype-filled, pushy, and repulsive. Stop that. Learn to “market like water”. The 13 Natural Disciplines: 1. Abandon branding as a primary outcome and seek response. Branding is inherent. 2. Always track everything with ruthless precision. 3. Within the context of your values – results rule. 4. Always make an offer. 5. Always seek a trackable, profitable response. 6. Always give a reason for immediate response. 7. Ask only for one response at a time. 8. Tell them exactly what to do next. 9. Use strong copy. It will sound like “junk mail”. 10. Kill your darlings. 11. Always followup in the short term. 12. Always followup in the long term. 13. Keep detailed customer files and study them carefully. Special Announcements I’m attending the Platform Conference in Nashville. It is nearly sold out.  Get a ticket while you can! I was written up by Eric T Wagner on Forbes.com recently. You can check out the article here. My new book is nearly ready – more to come! Would you like to have me speak at your event? Click here to visit my speaking page and get details on my availability. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please send me an email. And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679 Do you have any discplines you would add? Share your ideas and tactics below in the comments.  

What if your marketing worked like a machine – automatic, tireless, regardless of whether you show up today or not, and with predictable results? Today's podcast shows you how. In this week's podcast episode: How to market like a machine. A “move it to the top of the stack” book recommendation. Is it okay for Christians to be rich? Tip Of The Week Move this book to the top of your reading stack. Work the System by Sam Carpenter. We must study the mechanical minutia of our tasks if we are to excel. This means observing: looking down and analyzing the sub-systems of our lives…to see our selves as mechanical devices that can be made to be super-efficient. The next step is to spend the majority of our time perfecting each of our sub-systems, one by one. Here’s a happy thought: Study and then perfect your systems as a main focus and you’ll find yourself in select company and therefore flying faster and higher than a huge percentage of the competition. Make More. Work Less. Lots of people work hard to become expert at what they do, but what great heights will be achieved by becoming expert at a flawed process? Sam Carpenter Spiritual Foundations Is it okay for Christians to be rich? But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33 Feature Segment: How to Market Like a Machine No business can survive without a systematic approach to marketing. “Systematic” means well-defined, carefully followed procedures that produce predictable results. A true Marketing System consists of the following things: predictable processes that produce large quantities of good prospects, clients, and customers for your business. Your marketing system must provide these prospects efficiently (without a lot of hands-on work from you) and affordably (as in, it costs less to get a customer than the revenue that customer produces). Violate any one of these rules and you're in trouble, one step away from the Taco Delmar Phenomena. Here are the components of a good Marketing System: 1. Product Success Formula: TG + CDP/HAS(YCS )+ THM + WTS 2. Media that is efficient, affordable, they already use 3. A compelling message 4. An irresistable free offer 5. Multi-step automated short-term follow up systems 6. Multi-step long term follow up 7. Tested conversion process Special Announcements I’m attending the Platform Conference in Nashville. It is nearly sold out.  Get a ticket while you can! I was written up by Eric T Wagner on Forbes.com this week. You can check out the article here. My new book is nearly ready – more to come! Would you like to have me speak at your event? Click here to visit my speaking page and get details on my availability. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please send me an email. And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679 How strong is your marketing system? Share your ideas and tactics below in the comments.  

I recently wrote here on the blog about some new productivity “tweaks” with which I have been experimenting. Today's podcast is a report on the results. In this week's podcast episode: A “field report” on my latest productivity experiments. An alternative to mindmaps. How to get free of those “guilty feelings”. Stu McLaren on hiring the right people. Tip Of The Week Not into mind mapping, but wish there was an easy way to outline your ideas? You have got to try Workflowy. It was made for the purpose. Spiritual Foundations Are you plagued by feelings of guilt, about regrets over what you should have done in a certain situation? Don't be… There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2 When Jesus came and paid the price for sin, that included all of our sins. Past, present, and future. That means is far as he is concerned, we have nothing to regret. A “guilty conscience” is not the work of our father in heaven, but is the work of the enemy-the devil. See Hebrews 9:14. Lifestyle Business Stu McLaren has wisdom to share on the subject of hiring-and on not being cheap. Feature Segment: Results of My Productivity Experiments Recently, I wrote on my blog a post about a new plan for improved productivity in 2013. I thought it might be useful to share the results so far. Works and all. Here are the plans I wrote about, and a report on my observations Productivity Philosophy.  If you are not familiar with the GTD philosophy, I encourage you to read David Allen's seminal work on stress-free productivity. A great augmentation to the GTD material is one of my favorite new podcasts and websites, Erik Fisher's “Beyond the To-Do List”. At this point, I would give myself a “brown belt” when it comes to GTD. My biggest challenge is keeping my inboxes to zero, and limiting those inboxes to the smallest number possible. Planning. In keeping with my adherence to GTD, my planning is fairly simple. I have a weekly review session on Fridays, during which I collect all the inputs that have accumulated over the past week, and one by one clear them from my inbox.  So far I've done a pretty good job of keeping on top of my weekly reviews. I'd say I am at about 90% on this one. Disciplined Tracking.  For business activities, I am developing a dashboard for my company in Excel to keep track of key metrics. Frankly, I've gotten so caught up in looking for the perfect dashboard, I haven't really started using one yet. That will change within the next three days, as I am forcing myself to pick some kind of tracking system. Even if it is  3 x 5 cards. Productivity Tools. In the past, I have been a “tool junkie”. I have actually managed to not look at any new productivity tools since the beginning of the year. That may not sound like a big deal to you, but it's a big deal to me. Boundaries. This year, I am resolved to stick to my regimen of only answering email once a day, and the same for phone calls. I also intend to be “off the grid” three days a week for both email and phone calls. Still my biggest challenge. My name is Ray Edwards, and I am a recovering “yes man”. Guarding My Heart and Mind. Toxic thoughts and emotions destroy us. Toxic thinking limits our potential for accomplishment. Toxic emotions limit our potential for happiness and fulfillment. In the new year, I will not allow negative thinking, language, images, or emotions to pierce the boundary of my sight or hearing. While I have improved in this area, I still have work today. Have watched a couple of things on television that, in retrospect, were a bit dark and cynical and viewpoint. It isn't possible to watch things like this and walk away unaffected. Task Batching. I perform best when I batch similar tasks together and do them all at once. This is going pretty well for me, because it is exit become a habit of mine over the last few years. Focus Blocks. “Focus blocks” are clearly defined blocks of time that I use to focus on one single task.  I can tell you this. It seems that making a declaration about a new habit is a surefire way to become a lightning rod for challenges and resistance to that habit. Digital Fasting. I am a digital junkie. I love Facebook, Twitter, Google+, email, RSS feeds… you get the idea. That's why it's important to me to completely unplug frequently. My goal is to be completely free of email, voice mail, and Internet consumption… 100% free… at least one day a week. I have done pretty well, but frankly no where near 100%. This Sunday, I'm shooting for 100%. Sabbath. One day each week, my intention is to be at complete rest. Same answer as the previous section. The Positive No. I mentioned earlier that it is difficult for me to say “no” to people. This year, my default response to every request made of me will be, at least initially, “no”. I had a few chances to practice this, but I still wouldn't counted as one of my core disciplines. Yet. Income Producing Activity Hours. I have identified the activities which are most likely to result in producing revenue for my company: speaking, writing, marketing and advertising, and creating new material or trainings. There are a few other income-producing activities, such as networking, sales calls, and developing JV relationships. I am creating carefully protected and intricately planned “focus blocks” for these activities. These are among the first activities to be scheduled in my calendar. This one has worked out surprisingly well so far. Writing Time. This is in my top tier of income producing activities. It is also in my top tier of spiritually fulfilling activities. Therefore, this is one of my very highest priorities, and will be one of my most protected assets in the new year. 30 Day Challenges. I love new ideas, and I love trying them out. So much so, that I have tended, in the past, to try out many different ideas in a single week. Therefore, in the new year, each month I plan to adopt one “30 Day Challenge”. A single new habit, activity, or discipline. I will post each month's 30 day challenge publicly, and at the end of the 30 days report on my experience. . Hardest one of all for me to keep. My Challenge this month was to journal daily. We're on day 16 of the month, and I've written in my journal four days My plan going forward is to become more disciplined about my new habits, and not to simply give up. That's the mistake I think most people make when it comes to resolutions, or adopting any new discipline. Special Announcements I’m attending the Platform Conference in Nashville. It is nearly sold out. The purpose of the conference: to help you “get noticed in a noisy world.” It’s being put on by Michael Hyatt and Ken Davis. My friends Stu McLaren and Carrie Wilkerson are speaking. I’m also looking forward to meeting  Jeff Goins, Cliff Ravenscraft, Pat Flynn, John Saddington, Michele Cushatt, and Andrew Buckman. Unlike most conferences, there’s not a single speaker I’m not excited to hear and to meet. Get a ticket while you can! I was written up by Eric T Wagner on Forbes.com this week. You can check out the article here. Would you like to have me speak at your event? Click here to visit my speaking page and get details on my availability. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please send me an email. And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679 What Are you doing to be more productive in the new year? And how are your New Year's resolutions coming along? Share your ideas and tactics below in the comments.  

Ever have a day where you feel like you just didn't get anything done? Now imagine getting entire day's work done in two hours. Sound impossible? You won't feel that way after you listen to today's podcast. In this week's podcast episode: How to do a days work in two hours. A counterintuitive marketing book recommendation. How (and why) it's possible to achieve effortless success. Stu McLaren on the importance of being intentional. And a few surprises, too… Tip Of The Week This week I have a rather counterintuitive book recommendation. One of the best marketing books I've ever read (twice now) is Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Church. Spiritual Foundations As new creations in Christ, we are supposed to be “at rest”. Our life is not supposed to be about striving and working hard, but about receiving. Yes, I am saying that God will do a lot more for us than we could ever do for ourselves. And that he actually wants it to be that way. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest… Hebrews 4:9-11 This is a promise from God, and it echoes the Old Testament story of the promised land. In ancient Israel, there was an actual land that the people were given as a promise from God.This land was, in God's own words, to include houses that had already been built, vineyards that had already been planted, and wells that had already been dug. Everything was already done for the children of Israel. As believers under the provisions of the new covenant, our “promised land” is to simply rest in what Christ accomplished for us at the cross. In the passage from Hebrews, we learned that God desires that we would enjoy His rest. That we would be blessed, provided for, and healed as we receive from him. Through no efforts of our own. Lifestyle Business Stu McLaren shares his thoughts on the importance of being intentional. Feature Segment: How to Get a Day's Work Done In 2 Hours Here's the overall checklist for doing a days work in two hours. There are 3 phases to this method: Plan, Prepare, Perform. For a detailed explanation… listen to the podcast! Plan Make your “List of Three”, “Fantastic Five”, and your “Weird Time List”. Prepare Wake up one hour earlier. Have a quiet time. Perform Work on your “List of Three” before you do anything else. Use the “F.I.T.” Method. Take a 10 minute break, and move immediately to the “Fantastic Five”. Now take a 30 minute break, and go about your day as usual. Relax. Use your “Weird Time List” to “grout your day”. Special Announcements I’m attending the Platform Conference in Nashville. It is nearly sold out. The purpose of the conference: to help you “get noticed in a noisy world.” It’s being put on by Michael Hyatt and Ken Davis. My friends Stu McLaren and Carrie Wilkerson are speaking. I’m also looking forward to meeting  Jeff Goins, Cliff Ravenscraft, Pat Flynn, John Saddington, Michele Cushatt, and Andrew Buckman. Unlike most conferences, there’s not a single speaker I’m not excited to hear and to meet. Get a ticket while you can! Our exclusive Las Vegas workshop is more than half-full. If you're interested in participating, you will need to contact my office immediately. Tomorrow I will make a special announcement about a brand-new event. Would you like to have me speak at your event? Click here to visit my speaking page and get details on my availability. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please send me an email. And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679 What tips can you offer that would help get an entire day's work done in just two hours? Share your ideas and tactics below in the comments.  

Today I want to share five weird tactics that, when used correctly, almost guarantee more success. In this week's podcast episode: The five weird tactics. The power of the uncommon conversation. My first book recommendation of the new year. That’s all coming up… Tip Of The Week For refreshing, unusual, and inspiring look at the writing life I recommend Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. Spiritual Foundations Speaking plainly is a shocking and radical way of communicating. Jesus said you should “let your yes mean yes, and your no me no.”  Speaking the truth so plainly is disarming and incredibly persuasive. Try it. Feature Segment: 5 Weird Tactics Make The New Year Your Best Year Ever Do less. Say no. Stop multitasking. Stop setting goals. Pray Special Announcements I’m attending the Platform Conference in Nashville. If you do business online, you MUST attend this conference that helps you “get noticed in a noisy world.” It’s being put on by Michael Hyatt and Ken Davis. My friends Stu McLaren and Carrie Wilkerson are speaking. I’m also looking forward to meeting  Jeff Goins, Cliff Ravenscraft, Pat Flynn, John Saddington, Michele Cushatt, and Andrew Buckman. Unlike most conferences, there’s not a single speaker I’m not excited to hear and to meet. Get a ticket while you can! Our exclusive Las Vegas workshop is more than half-full. If you're interested in participating, you will need to contact my office immediately. Next week I will make a special announcement about a brand-new event. Would you like to have me speak at your event? Click here to visit my speaking page and get details on my availability. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please send me an email. And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can find the podcast on Stitcher by clicking the logo: Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679

If your business is struggling right now, or you need more cash flow, you might think it's ridiculous for me to say there's something better than new customers. But there is, and that's what we'll cover in this week's interview with Jim Palmer. In this weeks podcast episode: Jim Palmer shows us explains what is better than new customers. Stu McLaren: “You should start spying on people”. How to achieve effortless success. That’s all coming up… Tip Of The Week I have long been recommended to you a program called Evernote. Recently, a new version of this software has been released. They have succeeded in making a great thing even better. The main features of Evernote that I like: Capture anything – save your ideas, things you like, things you hear, and things you see. Access it anywhere -Evernote works with nearly every computer, phone and mobile device out there. Find things fast. Search by keyword, tag or even printed and handwritten text inside images. Lifestyle Business With Stu McLaren Stu McLaren explains why he has been spying on people. Spiritual Foundations God's plan for you and your business is not that you work so hard that you make yourself sick, destroy your mental health, and wreck your family. His kind of success is effortless, and he has already done the work when he died on the cross: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:2–3 This doesn't mean that you simply sit on the couch and wait for things to fall into your lap. It does mean that as you work, you can be relaxed and free from anxiety and fear. He has already provided every blessing you need in life. So how do you get those blessings? It's simple: believe, and rest on the Lord's promises. You might pray something like this: “Lord, I rest in the work that you have done on my behalf, and I thank you that you are already making good things happen for me. So I will stop all my stressing, struggling, and attempts to control circumstances in order to get what I want. I'm simply receiving what you've already provided.” Feature Segment: Interview With Jim Palmer There is something that is better than new customers-and you might be surprised to discover what it is. That's just one of the nuggets we will reveal in this interview with Jim Palmer. Listen to the podcast audio for the entire interview. And be prepared to take notes! Listener Questions Only one listener question this week, this one from Todd Liles of Service Excellence Training. Todd wants to know how he can get his podcast listed in iTunes. Special Announcements I’m attending the Platform Conference in Nashville. If you do business online, you MUST attend this conference that helps you “get noticed in a noisy world.” It’s being put on by Michael Hyatt and Ken Davis. My friends Stu McLaren and Carrie Wilkerson are speaking. I’m also looking forward to meeting  Jeff Goins, Cliff Ravenscraft, Pat Flynn, John Saddington, Michele Cushatt, and Andrew Buckman. Unlike most conferences, there’s not a single speaker I’m not excited to hear and to meet. Get a ticket while you can! Our exclusive Las Vegas workshop is more than half-full. If you're interested in participating, you will need to contact my office immediately. My next podcast will be on the topic of “How to Make the New Year Your Best Year Ever”. If you have a question about that, please leave me a voicemail message. This is a good way for you to promote your own website, because I will be happy to link to your site in return for you asking a question. Would you like to have me speak at your event? Click here to visit my speaking page and get details on my availability. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please send me an email. And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can find the podcast on Stitcher by clicking the logo: Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679

When it seems the economy around you is in turmoil and chaos, is it still possible to thrive? If so, how do you do that? In this weeks podcast episode we will cover: The results of “asking the listeners”. Changes you can expect in the podcast. Stu McLaren: “Doing the work up front”. Is God the source of evil? Plus, “How to Thrive In a Turbulent Economy” That’s all coming up on today’s episode… Tip Of The Week A couple of episodes ago, I advised you to ask your customers what they really want. I proposed using a survey-which is exactly what I did. Here are the results of my survey about how you think I could improve this show. The suggestions were: Add more listener participation and questions. Change the ending music to match the beginning music. Share  concrete copywriting tactics. Get more specific about dollars. Make the show tighter. Those are the top suggestions we are implementing, starting with this episode. I hope you like what you hear. Lifestyle Business With Stu McLaren Stu McLaren explains why it's worth doing the work up front, and doing it well. Spiritual Foundations Recently, I inadvertently started a bit of a tiff on Facebook. I posted the following: If you think you are sick because God has some purpose in it… reconsider. Sickness does not come from God. According to John 10:10, evil is the work of the enemy, who “comes only to steal and kill and destroy”. Jesus, on the other hand, comes so that we “may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). He also came to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). It's simple. God is good. The enemy is bad. Good things come from God, and evil things do not. It's helpful if we keep the difference in mind – it'll help us not attribute the work of the enemy to God! The reason this is important, is because when Jesus rose from the grave and conquered sin and death, he ushered in a new and better covenant for all of us who follow him. We no longer live under fear of punishment, for Jesus has taken the punishment on our behalf. He has covered us in his grace-literally, “unmerited favor.” God does not send evil into your life-not to teach you a lesson, not to improve your character, and certainly not to punish you. If you follow Jesus, you believe in him, you confessed to measure Lord and Savior… you are unpunishable. Feature Segment: How to Thrive In a Turbulent Economy Yes, there is chaos in the marketplace. The economy can be described as turbulent.  But that doesn't matter. There is no reason for you, my entrepreneurial friend, to fear the storm. Bedrock principles will keep you on course. Here are seven keys to thriving even in a turbulent economy… Faith. You will receive what you believe. Carefully guard where you are placing your faith. It makes a difference. Foundations. Most people crumble when their core values are challenged-because they never made those values a conscious decision.  Most of us simply inherit our values and beliefs from our family and friends. Make yours a choice. Don't just know what you believe, know why you believe it. Family. After your connection to your Creator, the most important link to your ultimate success is your family. Even if you have no family, as it is traditionally understood. I explain what to do if you don't have any family living, or none that you are connected with, in the podcast audio. So make sure you listen to the show itself. Friends. How you relate to friends-even how you define that word-is of vital importance to how effective you will be in the world. Especially in the world of business. Focus. What you focus on expands. If your constant focus is on the negativity and the chaos of the environment around you, expect to see more of the same. Take responsibility for what goes on inside your head. Finances. Business is a game won (or lost) by the numbers. The rules are simple: make money, save money, spend as little as possible. Fun. Make it a goal to be more joyful than all of your companions. Joy is magnetic, and draws people to you. It has the added benefit of drawing cheerful people to you, helping eliminate the “Eeyore Factor” from your life. Listener Questions Martin Hurley Jeff Davis Beaumont Miles Jim Siverts Special Announcements I’m attending the Platform Conference in Nashville. If you do business online, you MUST attend this conference that helps you “get noticed in a noisy world.” It’s being put on by Michael Hyatt and Ken Davis. My friends Stu McLaren and Carrie Wilkerson are speaking. I’m also looking forward to meeting  Jeff Goins, Cliff Ravenscraft, Pat Flynn, John Saddington, Michele Cushatt, and Andrew Buckman. Unlike most conferences, there’s not a single speaker I’m not excited to hear and to meet. Get a ticket while you can! Our exclusive Las Vegas workshop is more than half-full. If you're interested in participating, you will need to contact my office immediately. My next podcast will be on the topic of “How to Make the New Year Your Best Year Ever”. If you have a question about that, please leave me a voicemail message. This is a good way for you to promote your own website, because I will be happy to link to your site in return for you asking a question. Would you like to have me speak at your event? Click here to visit my speaking page and get details on my availability. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please send me an email. And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can find the podcast on Stitcher by clicking the logo: Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679

There is no need for you to struggle for many years before enjoying success. While it sometimes happens that way, that is not a requirement. Nor is it necessarily a sign of worthiness. In this weeks podcast episode we will cover: How to speed up your iPhone, and boost its battery life, without spending a dime. And, best of all, it only takes about 15 minutes. Stu McLaren: pay me now, or pay me later? December 21st, the Mayan calendar, the “Breaking of the World”… and you! Plus, “How To Succeed Faster “ That’s all coming up on today’s episode… Tip Of The Week Michael Hyatt published a great blog post on how to speed up your sluggish iPhone. These three simple actions will not only speed up your phone, but also appear to boost battery life. Check it out. Lifestyle Business With Stu McLaren Stu McLaren explores the differences between maximizing transactional value, versus maximizing recurring transactions. Sounds boring, but isn't. Spiritual Foundations Entrepreneurs have a divine call and an important role in repairing “The Breaking of the World”.  Never apologize for your love of business, and your relentless pursuit of excellence. These are qualities planted within your DNA by God. Own who you are. The people will curse him who withholds grain, But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it. Proverbs 11:26 Feature Segment: How To Succeed Faster Success does not have to be a slow process. The speed with which we attain our goals has more to do with what happens inside our head, than with what happens in our external circumstances. This episode is all about how to speed up the success process. Here are nine ways you can accelerate your success. Know exactly what your “success destination” looks like. Reverse engineer the path to success. Model those who have done what you wish to do. Avoid the inevitable attractive distractions. Measure your progress in writing. Be accountable to someone. Get a coach-or coaches. Recalibrate on a regular schedule. Consciously select what you are not going to do. Special Announcements I’m attending the Platform Conference in Nashville. If you do business online, you MUST attend this conference that helps you “get noticed in a noisy world.” It’s being put on by Michael Hyatt and Ken Davis. My friends Stu McLaren and Carrie Wilkerson are speaking. I’m also looking forward to meeting  Jeff Goins, Cliff Ravenscraft, Pat Flynn, John Saddington, Michele Cushatt, and Andrew Buckman. Unlike most conferences, there’s not a single speaker I’m not excited to hear and to meet. Get a ticket while you can! Our exclusive Las Vegas workshop is half-full. If you're interested in participating, you will need to contact my office immediately. My next podcast will be on the topic of “How To Thrive In A Turbulent Economy”. If you have a question about that, please leave me a voicemail message. This is a good way for you to promote your own website, because I will be happy to link to your site in return for you asking a question. Would you like to have me speak at your event? Click here to visit my speaking page and get details on my availability. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please send me an email. And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can find the podcast on Stitcher by clicking the logo: Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679

Today, I share how to get better clients who pay you more money for your products and services. At one point in my career, I would take on as many as six simultaneous projects, and work as much as 80 to 100 hours a week. That is simply crazy. There is a better way, and in this episode I’ll show it to you.. Other points of interest in this weeks episode: How to read your customers minds, and know exactly what they want. Are you living a life that just “happens to you”? Or are you happening to life? Stu McLaren gives us the answer. In our spiritual foundations segment, will answer the question: does God care even about my small problems, like the pimple on the end of my nose? How could he have time for our tiny little problems? That’s all coming up on today’s episode… so fasten your seatbelt… and let’s roll. Tip Of The Week One of the best ways to find out what your audience wants from you is to ask them. I suggest using a tool like Survey Monkey for this purpose. In fact, I'm going to demonstrate this suggestion in practice, by asking you how I can improve this podcast. Click here to take the survey Lifestyle Business With Stu McLaren Stu McLaren challenges us, by asking: are you living a life you designed, or are you living a life that happens by accident? Spiritual Foundations My blood pressure used to go up every time my phone rang. Why is this person (any person) calling me? Don't they know how busy I am? I’ve got news for you… that attitude is a sickness. Jesus is the perfect model of what a human being led by the Spirit looks like. How they walk and talk and interact with other people. And Jesus always had time. He still does. Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them… Matthew 19:13–14 I am not sharing this to judge anybody for feeling busy or stressed out. But it strikes me as remarkable that the Son of God always has time for us. He is infinitely available. We don’t have to wait in line. There is a mindset that exists that I call the “poor little me” mindset. This is the line of thinking that leads you to say things like, “God is too busy, and this is only important to poor little me.” This kind of thinking is focused on your own self-worth, or lack of it. But the truth is, God is infinite. He is instantly available to everyone of us-and he is interested in every detail of our lives. Scripture tells us that he even numbers the hairs on our head. Imagine that. Whatever might be troubling you right now, it is not too big, and not too small, for Jesus. Nothing is impossible for him. And he has an infinite amount of time just for you Ask him for help. Open your heart and let all your emotions out. He’s big. He can take it. Approach him just like a little child approaching your father-the perfect father, the one without the shortcomings that earthly fathers have-and ask your daddy for what you need. He’s ready to give it to you. Feature Segment: How To Get Better Clients Who Pay More As I mentioned earlier, when I was beginning to build my freelance business I took on too many clients and worked too many hours. This is chiefly because I was not selective about who my clients were, and did not think through how much they were paying me. This key mistake took its toll. It affected my health, my attitude, and even my family relationships. What’s worse, many of the clients I took on during this time were… well… jerks. It seemed that some of them existed only to torture freelancers. These days, my business is totally different. I work well under 40 hours most weeks. .. and I make a lot more money. I enjoy every hour that I do work. And I simply don’t tolerate cheap or annoying clients anymore. One  of the annoying variety occasionally does slip through under the radar, but once I detect them, I am very quick to chase them back across the border. I have 9 suggestions that will help you attract and secure higher-quality clients, who pay you much higher fees than you currently receive. You may be surprised to learn this is easier than it sounds. Suggestion 1: Decide in advance what you want your business and life to look like. Suggestion 2:  Reverse engineer what kind of clients you need to make that happen. Suggestion 3: Define your criteria of what constitutes a good client – in writing. Suggestion 4: Identify the qualities that are evident in a bad client. Suggestion 5: Commit yourself to never again except a bad client. Suggestion 6: Develop a client screening process. Suggestion 7: Script everything at first. Suggestion 8: Confront with love and boldness; use brave communication. Suggestion 9: Kill the monsters while they’re little. Special Announcements I will be making an appearance onstage at James Malinchak’s “Big Money Speaker Bootcamp” December 6-9 in LA. I’m super-excited about this event! I don’t know if you saw ABC’s hit TV show, “Secret Millionaire”…  James was featured on the show. At the Boot Camp, he shares his strategies and tips on how to become a Big Money Speaker. I’m attending the Platform Conference in Nashville. If you do business online, you MUST attend this conference that helps you “get noticed in a noisy world.” It’s being put on by Michael Hyatt and Ken Davis. My friends Stu McLaren and Carrie Wilkerson are speaking. I’m also looking forward to meeting  Jeff Goins, Cliff Ravenscraft, Pat Flynn, Ken Davis, John Saddington, Michele Cushatt, and Andrew Buckman. Unlike most conferences, there’s not a single speaker I’m not excited to hear and to meet. Get a ticket while you can! I am getting tremendous feedback about the “Big Idea, Big Plan” teleseminar I hosted last week with my “mystery guest”. Replay recording available for a short time. My next podcast will be on the topic of “How To Thrive In A Turbulent Economy”. If you have a question about that, please leave me a voicemail message. This is a good way for you to promote your own website, because I will be happy to link to your site in return for you asking a question. Episode Resources Here are links to resources  mentioned during this episode: Tool: Survey Monkey Stu McLaren's personal blog Wishlist Member Would you like to have me speak at your event? Click here to visit my speaking page and get details on my availability. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please send me an email. And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can find the podcast on Stitcher by clicking the logo: Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679

If you are tired of struggling to make sales… if it seems your business exists just to blindly run from one promotion to another… if every month you feel like you have to reinvent the wheel to bring in revenue… you're going to love today's podcast! Today, I'm going to give you a quick method to create a marketing plan for the entire year of 2013. The best part is, this is going to be so simple you can fit your entire marketing plan on a single page. Which means, you'll actually do it! Here's the menu for today's episode: A book recommendation that will change the way you learn, and the way you eat. Why you can expect God to provide open doors, new opportunities, and the resources to overcome whatever challenges you may be facing. My quick and easy method for laying out your promotion and marketing calendar for the coming year… boosting your sales and profits, and slashing the amount of work and stress in your life. And I will share a few special announcements. Tip Of The Week Tim Ferris released his new book, The 4-Hour Chef, this past week, and once again made publishing industry. This time, it was because his book was effectively “banned” from most physical bookstores. Tim turned adversity into opportunity, and launched a formidable bookselling campaign like nothing I've ever seen. In the podcast, I discuss the details of this… plus the merits of the book itself. Spiritual Foundations Does God send misfortune to his children (you and me) so we can “learn a lesson”? Or is it appropriate for us to expect good things from our heavenly father? Is God really on our side? What is the proper response when we face trials, and while we are waiting for God's answer? Here is a clue… in the book of Job, at the point where Job had lost everything (his family, his fortune, and his health), Job refused to blame God for his misfortune. The Lord's anger was kindled against Job's friends, who all seemed determined to convince Job that God had allowed or brought these misfortunes upon him. God honored Job's request for his friends to be forgiven. And notice what the text says next: “And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, WHEN HE HAD PRAYED FOR HIS FRIENDS. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” Job 42:10 Don't allow seeming lack in your own situation to prevent you from providing God's abundance to others. Brokering God's supernatural provision for others releases a grace to receive your own. It's worth noting that this demonstration of lavish Grace took place in the old covenant, and according to the Bible we live now under a much better covenant. How To Create A One-Page Marketing Plan The current business environment is not an excuse for under-performing revenue. There are businesses that are doing quite well, thank you very much. So using words like “it's the economy” amounts to little more than pathetic excuse-making. If you are experiencing a downturn in revenue, the answer is-do something different! A good place to start, especially at this time of the year, is with a fresh marketing plan. Here's how to create one quickly and easily… in a way that is almost guaranteed to boost your revenue. First, consider why you need a marketing plan at all. It's really quite simple: no plan, no real destination. What we want to focus on is coming up with the “minimum effective dose”. We're not trying to write the”War and Peace” of marketing plans. Here's how were going to do this: go get a calendar, and a list of holidays taking place in 2013. Listen carefully to the instructions I give you in the podcast itself, and within about an hour, you will have a better marketing plan for the coming year than 90% of business people in America. Think about this: what will happen if you actually carry this exercise out? Special Announcements I will be making an appearance onstage at James Malinchak's “Big Money Speaker Bootcamp” December 6-9 in LA. I'm super-excited about this event! I don't know if you saw ABC's hit TV show, “Secret Millionaire”…  James was featured on the show. At the Boot Camp, he shares his strategies and tips on how to become a Big Money Speaker. I'm attending the Platform Conference in Nashville. If you do business online, you MUST attend this conference that helps you “get noticed in a noisy world.” It's being put on by Michael Hyatt and Ken Davis. My friends Stu McLaren and Carrie Owensby Wilkerson are speaking. I'm also looking forward to meeting  Jeff Goins, Cliff Ravenscraft, Pat Flynn, Ken Davis, John Saddington, Michele Cushatt, and Andrew Buckman. Unlike most conferences, there's not a single speaker I'm not excited to hear and to meet. Get a ticket while you can! Would you like to have me speak at your event? Click here to visit my speaking page and get details on my availability. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please send me an email. And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can find the podcast on Stitcher by clicking the logo: Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679 Question: How far in advance do you plan your marketing, and how do you do it? Leave your tips in the comments below.  

In today's podcast, I am spending a lot of time answering one of the most common questions I receive: “Ray, what online business tools or software do you use to run your Internet based business?” I'll go into detail about what online business tools I use, why I chose them, and also be very candid about whether I would make the same choice if I were starting over again today. Specifically, in this episode we will cover the following: I will share my new favorite iPad app, which is a notetaking app with a twist. In Spiritual Foundations, will discuss God's will to heal in all areas of your life. I will go in-depth on the subject of online business tools. I'll get specific, and name names. Stu McLaren shares exactly how frustrations can be the source of million-dollar business ideas. And I will share a few special announcements. Tip Of The Week Some of my own Paper doodles. This week's tip is for another iPad app. This one is called simply Paper. What makes it different from the app I reviewed last week? Paper is more than a notetaking app. It is really intended for artists. It works and feels like, well… paper. Hence the name. Check it out. Spiritual Foundations God's nature is to heal you in every way: “…God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38 Don't fall for the lie that says God made you sick to “teach you something”. That's not who He is! The Best Online Business Tools In the course of running an online business, there are many tools and applications to choose from. I use a lot of different tools in my own business, and I am frequently asked for recommendations about what the best tools to use might be. I am going to supply some very specific answers, and share some of the tools that I use most in my own business. Before I do, however, I want to make a couple of things very clear. First of all, it is rarely the case that the lack of a tool creates the lack of success. In my experience, successful people are successful despite not having the “right tools”. This may sound counter-intuitive. I am not saying that it's wrong to have the best tools available to get the job done. That would be ridiculous. What I am saying is this: if you are using your search for the “perfect tools” as an excuse not to act, you will almost certainly encounter disappointment. Perhaps outright failure. There is no such thing as a “perfect tool”. It's better to start with what you have, from where you are, and do the best job possible. That is what being an entrepreneur is all about. Creating value out of the available resources. The second thing you should be aware of is that I do receive a commission for recommending most of the tools listed here. If that bothers you, feel free to disregard my advice. However, I will say this: I do not recommend any tool that I have not used myself, or that I do not feel will help you. Here is my list of recommended tools, software, and websites. These have helped me build a successful online business, and I believe they can help you do the same. What I'm Using Now… And Most WordPress.org – This is what I recommend almost everyone use to build their website. It's about more than just “blogging”, it is a rocksolid architecture for constructing any website. There is a reason why so many Fortune 500 companies choose to build their website on the WordPress framework. Plus, because of the ability to apply different “themes” to your WordPress site, you can change the look and feel of your website with the touch of a button (or, in this case, the click of a mouse). Just make sure you are running the self hosted version of WordPress, which will be found that WordPress.org. You don't want to build your website on WordPress.com, because you lose a certain amount of control, and also it just looks less professional. DIYthemes.com – This is the company that sells the thesis WordPress theme. Devotees of thesis are almost fanatical in their enthusiasm for this very solid, lightning fast, SEO optimized WordPress theme. While it is very powerful, and very sophisticated, it also comes with a bit of a steeper learning curve than other WordPress themes. But if you are looking for a rock solid framework for your website, this is the place for you. StudioPress.com – The folks at StudioPress are producing some of the most elegant and beautiful WordPress themes available today. They all work with the Genesis framework, which means your WordPress site will be running on a solid foundation that is optimized to get you search engine love. This is a great option for short-cutting the design phase of your website-these things look great right out of the box. InfusionSoft.com – We just switched! This is a very robust and powerful CRM (or customer relationship management) software system, including email followup, direct mail, shopping cart functionality, and more. Infusion allows you to do some very sophisticated marketing, using behavior-based rules, analytics, and automation sequences. If you have a business that is doing $1 million or more in revenue per year, you might well want to consider using this system. It is not cheap, and there is a learning curve to get the most out of it, but it is well worth both of these costs. PayPal – This is the easiest and best way to start taking payments online. PayPal is an established, trusted payment processor, thanks mostly to their very close association with eBay. It's easy to set up an account, and you have direct access to the money as soon as someone pays you. This is where I recommend you start when you're ready to start taking payments online. iPowerPay.com -At some point, you're going to need a real, honest to goodness merchant account. This is an account that lets you take credit cards directly as a means of payment for your products and services. The customer pays using their credit card, and the money is automatically deposited in your bank account a couple days later. The problem is, it's not exactly easy to get a true merchant account for online business. Especially if you're just starting out. This company is the company I use for my own merchant account. It's very inexpensive to get started, and they have a 98% approval rate for all applications (sometimes it feels like other companies have a 98% rejection rate!). These folks truly understand the business of Internet marketing, so you'll never have to feel like you're forced to explain your business to someone who just doesn't “get it”. Highly recommended. BlueHost – This is the place to start when you initially build your website. You will not outgrow this quickly in all likelihood. Even if you experience huge success with your new website, blue host can accommodate your growth a long way down the road. Their prices are excellent (starting at about 7 bucks a month), and their service is just as good. This is where I recommend all beginners start for their web hosting-and more than a few “seasoned veterans” should be able to do quite well with an account at blue host. Opt-in Skin – This is a WordPress plug-in that allows you to design beautiful and response-enhancing opt-in forms for your WordPress powered site. It has many built-in features, including the ability to split test different designs see which will get the most registrations. I've been using it for a while now, and the only criticism I have is that it runs a little slowly when you're trying to design and generate a new form. That, however, is a small price to pay for what this plug-in will do. Scribe Content – This plug-in helps me optimize my blog posts and site content for better placement in the search engines. This is really the only SEO work that I do on my site. Evernote – My absolute favorite app that defies description – but I’ll try: your new omnipresent, universal, non-corporeal notebook. Yep, can’t describe it. Try it. You’ll understand. LastPass  – The last password you will ever need. Remember a single password, and access all of your accounts and sites. DropBox – This vital service allows me to synchronize the folder on my computer with an identical folder in the cloud. What this means is, I can have access to my files anywhere I can access the Internet. I can also share with others. Indispensable tool! Backblaze – This automated backup service makes a complete up-to-the-minute backup of my computer “in the cloud”. That means even if my computer catches on fire and burns to ashes, I can still duplicate it at the click of a button later. Screenflow – I use this tool to make a screen cast recordings that are responsible for so much of my revenue. For instance, when I make sales videos for my own products, I knew Screenflow. When I create the products themselves, I used Screenflow to create the content. And when I am paid to create sales videos for clients, this is the tool that I use. ByWord – A simple, distraction free writing environment that I love. I learned about this gem from Michael Hyatt. Word – I wish it were not so, but sometimes you just have to have Microsoft Word to get the job done. Usually, the “have to” part is because someone else is using it and thus I am forced to use it also. Pages – In my opinion, a much better word processing and page layout program than Microsoft Word. Lean, sleek, and easy-to-use, everyone should just switch now. So I can stop using that other program altogether. OmniFocus – Hands-down the best implementation of GTD I've ever seen in software. I use this every single day. Synthesis – I'm not currently using synthesis WordPress hosting, but I'm very close to making the move. It's mostly a matter of time for me. Their hosting is designed and optimized for WordPress sites. Meaning you get better security, fewer crashes and other problems, and speed. All very important. GetNoticed! WordPress Theme – I am looking forward to testing Michael Hyatt's upcoming WordPress theme. Based on the design of his own popular website, this team is optimized for experts, authors, thought leaders, life coaches, and others who wish to build an online platform for themselves. The theme has not yet been released, but you can sign up to get notified when it is by clicking here. WishlistMember – Plugin that turns WordPress sites into recurring revenue! Online Business Tools I Don't Use, But Do Recommend Here are a few recommendations for services that I don't currently use in my business, but that I have tested and believed to be very useful. In some cases, I am using these tools and services on behalf of clients. In all cases, I believe these to be of the utmost quality and worth your consideration. SquareSpace.com – Until very recently the only platform are recommended for building a website was WordPress. That was until I gave square space a try. While there are many website building services available these days, this is the only one that I would recommend as a way to build your platform website. Their hosting is incredibly sophisticated, and you will probably never outgrow it. It's virtually impossible for you to generate enough traffic to bring one of their websites down. Their built-in design templates will make your site look like a million bucks. Their drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to design your website yourself. If using WordPress intimidates you, and if you don't need to build sophisticated paid membership site, this is worth considering. Not to mention it is very reasonably priced. BigCommerce.com – If I were starting my business again from scratch today, it is very likely that this is the shopping cart system that I would use. But this service is much more than merely a shopping cart, as they offer help with all phases of building a profitable website. If you take full advantage of everything they have to offer, you will end up spending more than a few dollars, but they do very good work. Highly recommended. AWeber – There are many options to choose from for building your e-mail list, delivering messages to them, and tracking the results of your e-mail marketing. This is my top recommendation for anyone just getting started out. These guys take all the hard stuff and do it for you, in the background. They make sure you stay off the spam lists, and they make sure your e-mail gets delivered. They're also relatively inexpensive. You can get started for about 20 bucks a month. 1 ShoppingCart – This is the shopping cart system that I have used for taking online orders and automating product delivery since about 2004. Not only is it a shopping cart, it also features integrated e-mail marketing functions, handles shipping, taxes, and a lot more. This system is relied on by many online marketers, and the folks who own it have worked hard to keep updating it with the features we need to run our businesses. Highly recommended. Woothemes.com – WordPress themes that are stunning to look at, attractive to search engines, and completely easy-to-use. I've worked with a lot of websites that are built using themes from this company, and this is my number one recommendation for you if you are just starting out. I also highly recommend these themes to you even if you're a seasoned pro. MarketSamurai – For doing market research, and finding those profitable keywords for your website to focus on, this is the software you need. It runs on all computers (Mac, PC, and even Linux) and while it is simple to use, it is also very powerful. The Lifestyle Business Segment Stu McLaren returns as our “lifestyle business correspondent”, and this week Stu is sharing his thoughts on how frustration can be the source of million-dollar product ideas. Special Announcements I will be making an appearance onstage at James Malinchak's “Big Money Speaker Bootcamp” December 6-9 in LA. I'm super-excited about this event! I don't know if you saw ABC's hit TV show, “Secret Millionaire”…  James was featured on the show. At the Boot Camp, he shares his strategies and tips on how to become a Big Money Speaker. I'm attending the Platform Conference in Nashville. If you do business online, you MUST attend this conference that helps you “get noticed in a noisy world.” It's being put on by Michael Hyatt and Ken Davis. My friends Stu McLaren and Carrie Owensby Wilkerson are speaking. I'm also looking forward to meeting  Jeff Goins, Cliff Ravenscraft, Pat Flynn, Ken Davis, John Saddington, Michele Cushatt, and Andrew Buckman. Unlike most conferences, there's not a single speaker I'm not excited to hear and to meet. Get a ticket while you can! Would you like to have me speak at your event? Click here to visit my speaking page and get details on my availability. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please send me an email. And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can find the podcast on Stitcher by clicking the logo: Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679 Question: What online business tools could you not live without in your business? Leave your tips in the comments below.